When God is Watching

Victoria Sunsett

Copyright ©2014 by Victoria Sunsett.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author's rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

Cover Design Copyright ©2014 by Victoria Sunsett.

All rights reserved.

Disclaimer

This book contains both fictional and real events based on a true story. The real names, places, and ages of the characters were changed to protect their identity. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

Preface

The book When God is Watching is based on a true story. A young man, who grew up in a Christian family, chose a different way for his life. Rebel, wild partying, stealing, and drugs became his lifestyle. With his girlfriend, he had  two children. Jake ended up in prison for a long period of years. His girlfriend followed him very soon after, and lost her kids.

Who took those kids? Would both of these unfortunate parents ever see their children again?

Read and find out what God can do in peoples’ lives – answering the prayers of those who trust Him with all their heart.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

1.      "Dad, Where is Mom?"

2.      Jake's Childhood

3.      Rebel

4.      A Girlfriend

5.      The First Child

6.      Supernatural Experience

7.      End of Free Life

8.      The End of Darkness

9.      So Many Changes

10.        Pregnant Again

11.        Unexpected Surprise

12.        Father-son Forgiveness

13.        Angela's Struggles

14.        The Lost Hope

15.        My Father is My Hero

16.        To Choose a Spouse

17.        Is There Anyone for Me?

18.        The Meeting

19.        The Waterfront

20.        The Drama

21.        The Accident

22.        Engagement

23.        The First Christmas

24.        The Wedding

1.      "Dad, Where is Mom?"

On a beautiful sunny morning on the last day of June, Josh woke up earlier than usual. He jumped out of his bed and ran to the front yard window.

"Auntie, what time my daddy will come?" asked the boy impatiently.

"Slow down, dear, you have to brush your teeth first, dress nicely, and make your bed," Angela said to her ten-year-old nephew.

"Auntie, will daddy come back with my mommy?" The boy's eyes were turned to his aunt who had been practically a mother to him for the last five years.

"We'll see today," said calmly Angela.  She already knew the truth.  Jake, her brother, was out of prison after eight long years.  Angela had heard that his life was changed soon after he got there, after he gave his life to Jesus.  But she remembered him as a different and troubled person, which had caused him to end up behind bars.

What kind of person is he now, after those long years? Angela wondered. Will he become a good father for his children? His son, Josh, still remembered him from earlier years. But Jake's daughter Sylvia was born after Jake was sent to prison Angela's brother got his first chance to meet his little girl when she was four years old.  Now Sylvia was seven. And she was also waiting for her father to come home.

Angela's niece, a little princess, did not remember her biological mother.  But Sylvia's big brother Josh did.  He was five years old when he and his sister were taken away from their mother.

Angela was making breakfast in the kitchen, thinking how their lives were about to change soon.  She had been a single young lady when she had sacrificed herself to save these precious kids and took full custody of her brother's children.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the door bell.  Her nephew ran to the door, "Daddy is here! Daddy is here!"

Angela opened the door.  Her handsome, tall and fit brother was standing on the porch with a big smile and a huge bouquet of flowers.  His son ran first to his father’s big hug. They held each other for a long moment, unable to speak from emotions. Angela got tears in her eyes welcoming her brother into her house.

"Daddy," Josh asked his father timidly.  "Why... why you are alone? Why did my mommy did not come with you?"  The boy's eyes were fixed on his dad's eyes.

Jake sighed.  This happy moment of their meeting was shaded with the reality that the boy's mother couldn't be here anymore.  "I'm sorry, son. Your mom cannot come to be with us."

The little boy was filled with mixed emotions.  Yes, he was very happy that his dad finally came back home, but why couldn’t his mom come? Why couldn’t she be a part of his life anymore?  And his little sister Sylvia was also waiting for a mom...a real mother, who'd love them, take care of them, help with homework, and read books with them at bed time.

2.      Jake's Childhood

Mark and Anna Shelby had a big family.  They never questioned how many kids they would have. They both agreed to accept as many children as God would give them. So they ended up with twelve kids, and Jake was the seventh in a row.

Mark remembered once when he was returning home and as he was getting closer to his apartment building, he almost fainted from what appeared before his eyes: his six-year-old son Jake was hanging down from the second floor balcony, holding the railing with his little hands.  Anna was in her kitchen when suddenly she felt a strong desire to run to the balcony. What she saw scared her to death: she could only see two small sets of fingers over the top rail. Oh, God, please save him! That was all she was able to think. Quickly, she reached her little boy’s wrists, and pulled him to safety.

Inside their apartment, the parents asked, “Jake, why did you do that?”

"My friends were calling me to go outside and play," the little boy said.  "I did not want Mom to see me going outside, so I thought it would be the best way to go out," Jake explained. Although he was afraid to be punished by his father, he was also relieved to be inside and safe. Too late, he understood that it was very dangerous to jump down from that high. He was afraid to speak, but a feeling of gratitude toward his mother stuck deeply in his heart for the rest of his life.

Many years later, Jake remembered that incident. He was laughing while telling this to his friends, but he said, "It was not so exciting while hanging and looking down to the far ground below."

Jake's parents tried their best to raise their children to be well behaved and good citizens. It was a big and happy family. Anna, the mother of this big family, was a genuine sweet woman of God. She was filled with love and encouragement for her kids.

The opposite of his wife, Mark was a very strict and harsh man. He barely found time to even talk to his children.  Although he believed that he loved his children by providing for them financially, Mark was blind to the point that he could not recognize the inner needs of some of his children.

As Christians, Mark and Anna regularly took their children to church services.  They really loved the church family environment, friendship, listening to the Word of God, and participating in choir singing.  But for little Jake, things were different. His father did not allow him to get up and go out during church services. The little boy's heart was not opened yet to God's Word.  Jake found it a difficult struggle to stay put from the beginning to the end of every church service.

"Why does it take so long?" Jake sighed, looking sideways and trying not to turn his head. "I wish my dad wouldn't sit right at front, in the choir." The boy couldn't hide anywhere from his father's attention.

"But I need to go to the bathroom." Jake became inpatient. He couldn't wait until the end of the services.  Finally, he got up and ran out of the sanctuary. He already knew that he was risking getting punished after the church service, but he had no choice.

"Son, I need to talk to you," his father said when they came home.

Why does my dad have only such conversations with me? troubled Jake thought.

"You know the rules, you are not allowed to walk out during church services," said Mark to his son with a harsh tone.

"But, father..."

"No ‘but.’ I do not want to hear any but," Jake's father interrupted him, "you know my rules, and you must obey your father," said Mark to his boy.  "And since you are not obeying your father, you have to be punished."

Jake's heart was broken. Again. Why did his father never listen to him? Why did he get punished for each and every broken rule, for every mistake?

Jake began comparing himself to his siblings. Why does our father not punish them as much as he does me? he wondered. Does he love them more than me? The rebellious emotions began filling his sensitive heart.

When I'll grow up, I won't let him hurt me anymore. Feeling unfairly treated, Jake became angry toward his father.  He made a plan.

3.      Rebel

Tension between father and son grew as Jake went through his teenage years. More and more, he experienced much more fun with his friends than in his family.

Anna, the loving mother, prayed a lot for her children. And at this stage of her life, she was most worried about her son Jake. She loved him with all her heart, but couldn't do anything for him but show him love and continue to pray.

Anna was heartbroken when, one night, her son returned home drunk. His parents hadn’t gone to bed yet.  When Jake entered the house, his face was red, and he couldn't stand steadily. The strong alcohol smell brought his father to a rage.

"How could you do such a thing?!" Mark started yelling at his son. "All your brothers and sisters are well behaved and obedient children, but you... you..." he couldn't find the words to express his full disappointment of his drunken son. ”Get out of my house, right now!" he commanded the dumbfounded Jake.

Anna started crying. "Honey, please, let him stay home overnight," she begged her husband.

"Get out of my way," Mark replied. He couldn't keep his anger down.

"Enough is enough!" he yelled at Jake. "You always were disobedient to your father; you never listened to my rules, get out of my life!"

Jake's head had sobered up to some degree. He knew that he was disobedient to his parents, but he never expected things to reach such a turn.  He stood up for a moment, and then turned away and left.  He did not want to hear his angry father's yelling; he couldn't stand his loving mother's tears.

Where to go at such a late time?  At first, Jake thought to go to his older brother's home. But after a moment, he felt ashamed to show up in such a condition and scare his sister-in-law.  He decided to go to his friend’s home for at least this night.

After that moment, Jake's life started to slide downward. His so-called friends were not very interested in keeping him at their homes. One or two nights - that's was OK, but not for a long period of time. "You should find your own place to stay, buddy," they told him.

Desperate, cold, and hungry, Jake snuck into his parent's backyard.  He always knew that his mother wouldn't cast him away.  One night, when he entered their backyard, he stood for a moment, thinking about where he would find a place to sleep.  He wasn't allowed to enter his parents' warm and cozy home.

Jake stepped on the porch. He spotted something in the corner under a bench.  He reached his hand, and felt something soft.  That was a blanket! A warm blanket!  Oh, my loving mother, she never stopped loving me, he almost started crying.

He wrapped himself in the blanket, and laid down right on the porch, trying to get some rest.

As during many other nights, Anna was sleepless, worrying and praying for her prodigal son. Suddenly she heard some noises from the back porch.  She got up, and quietly went out.  As she suspected, Anna found her son sleeping outside in the cold weather.

"Dear God, please protect and save my son," she whispered.  Quietly, so she wouldn't alarm her husband, Anna went to the kitchen, took some food, and warmed it up using a kitchen range top.  Then she took a dish outside, next to her sleeping son.

Jake woke up early. Although he was wrapped in a blanket, it was still cold. He was surprised to find a dish with his favorite meal sitting next to him.  "Oh, mother, you still love me." He barely held back his tears.  Quickly, he ate the food, put a dish and a blanket aside, and left, before his father got up to go to work.

4.      A Girlfriend

Jake's 18th birthday was coming up. He had to think something up to celebrate this special day. "Hey, buddy," he said, calling his friend Tim, "would you do a favor for me?"

"What's up, man?"

"It's my birthday coming up, and I don't have a place to celebrate.  Would you mind sharing your home for my birthday party?"  Jake asked.

"Sure, why not?" Tim agreed.

Jake invited as many of his friends as he could. Yet when he entered the party room, he saw some new people he had never met before.  Among them was a beautiful young girl with long sandy hair and green eyes.  He was immediately attracted to her.

After a while, Jake's friend introduced the girl to him, Serena, a gorgeous young lady.  She'll be mine, he thought immediately.

Serena was happy and outgoing.  She laughed, and had a lot of fun with new friends. Jake did not want to lose a chance. He asked her if he could take her home right after his birthday party.  He had to leave anyway, as it was not his home.

They both were already drunk. Serena accepted Jake's offer, and they left. He did not care much that he had to drive while intoxicated. Luckily, somehow, he got her home without any accidents.

Serena invited her new friend inside her small studio apartment. He was glad to accept. Anyway, he had no home, and had been staying here and there among his multiple friends' homes.  And he was crazy tired after such a wild party.

The next morning, Jake woke up with a terrible headache.  Oh, that party... I shouldn't have drunk that much, it was all that he could think at that moment.

"Where I am?" he wondered.  Then he turned the other way, and found a young beautiful girl next to him. She was still sleeping.

Jake stared at her for a while. He then remembered how he met her and why he was now here with her.  He continued looking at her face, her closed eyes, and her long eyelashes.  She is beautiful, he thought. He immediately began falling in love with her.

"Hey," said Serena, waking up. She smiled at him.  Jake's mind fogged for a moment. He just remembered those warm and nice smiles of his mother and sisters, when he was home.  How much he missed that warm family environment!

"Hey," replied Jake to the young lady. "It’s nice to be here. Thank you for inviting me."

"Well, my parents recently divorced and left me alone," said Serena. She did not want to share with her new friend that she was not really obedient to either of her parents, so she was simply kicked out.

"Would you like to be my boyfriend?" Serena asked playfully.

"Hmm... yes, sure, why not," Jake replied, surprised.  He had never before had a real girlfriend. At least, I won't need to look for a place to stay, he thought.

Serena, same as Jake, liked fun and partying. Although they both worked, they hadn’t learned how to spend money wisely. And there wasn't always enough money for their needs and wild lifestyle. Alcohol was a big part of their life.

Luckily for Jake, his older brothers did not turn him away completely. One of them, Alex, who owed a construction business, was sorry for Jake's life, and offered him a job.  Many times, Jake came to work in the morning already drunk or not sober enough after another previous evening partying.

Years later, he remembered once when he came to work drunk. His job required him to go up and do some roofing framing on the top of a construction site. He tried to hide from his brother and other coworkers that he was drunk.  His pride did not let him tell them the truth.  After Jake went up and did his small ten minutes of work, he was afraid to go down. He got dizzy and scared.

"Hey, man, what have you been doing up there for two hours?"  someone yelled to him from the ground.

Jake laughed at himself years later. But at that moment it was not fun at all.

5.      The First Child

One morning, Serena felt unusually sick.  She could not go to work.  At first, they both thought it was a consequence of their last night’s drinking. But it was much worse.

"Hello," that was her co-worker and friend Liz. "Why you are not working today?" she asked.  After a short conversation, Liz offered to come and give Serena some help.

In the late afternoon, while Serena was sick lying in her bed, Liz entered her room.

"Hey, girl, I have something for you," she said.

"But I can't eat anything," Serena replied weakly.

"That's not what you think.  Look at this. You should try it." And Liz gave Serena a small long plastic pack.

"What is it?" Serena opened a package.  It was a pregnancy test.

"Are you crazy, girl?" Serena almost got angry. She had never thought about such a possibility.

"Calm down, dear. I just want to help you," Liz said.

Getting pregnant was not in Serena's plans at all. Anyway, she agreed to take the test.

After a few minutes, she brought the test to her friend.  It was positive.

Serena was in shock. "What do I do now?" She was scared and unsure.

"Well, you got to talk to your boyfriend," Liz suggested, "and then decide what you are going to do next."

After Jake came home from work, he found Serena tense and upset.  She did not even talk to him.

"Hey, how are you doing? You are still in your bed. What's wrong?" he asked.

She didn't know where to start. After a while, she started crying. "I'm pregnant. What should I do now?" Serena became angry while talking. "That's all your fault," she cried.

After these words, Jake got angry too. "What is my fault?" he almost yelled at her.

"It's your child. I wasn't with anyone else beside you," Serena cried. "I am not ready for a child. And I'm afraid to have an abortion."

"Calm down," Jake said, sitting down next to her. "Let's think about it," he offered. "Look, I grew up in a big family.  My parents have twelve children. And they never aborted a single child," Jake said.

"But those were your religious parents," protested Serena. "My mother had several abortions after I was born. I was my parents’ only child. They never taught me to love little babies." She was emotional and exhausted.

Although Jake was far away from God, family, and church, there was something that was sewn deeply into his heart.  He just couldn't imagine allowing the killing of his own unborn child.

"Let us keep this baby," he tried to convince his girlfriend. "I will help you as much as I can. I'll try to work more to earn more money to provide for both of you," he offered.

Serena agreed, but many times she was worried and depressed.  She couldn't concentrate on her job, so very soon she lost it.  Jake was desperate.  He was not used to having full responsibility for someone else's life. Now he had to take care of both his broken girlfriend and their unborn child.

One evening, Jake got a call from his friend Zack.

"Hey, I have a deal. I need to talk to you tonight. It's not a phone conversation."

When they met, Zack was strangely excited. He told Jake that there was a way to make good money but he would have to agree to work quietly.

"How do you know we'll be safe?" Jake was in doubt.

"See what I'm doing and try the same," replied Zack.  "Look at that BMW," he pointed across the street.  "We've gotta get it."

Jake was unsure, but followed his friend. It was dark outside.  Zack quickly showed Jake how to open the car without letting a security system turn on.  They both entered inside, turned the engine on, and drove away.  Zack drove into someone's garage, to hide the stolen car.

"We are almost done," he said. "Just a few things left to do with paperwork, and we'll get our money."

"But it's illegal. What if we get caught?" Jake questioned.

"Don't worry that much, buddy. Let me show you some more tricks, and you'll be an expert," Zack encouraged him.

In a few days, Jake got five thousand dollars from Zack.

"It's your reward," Zack said. "Everything was done cleanly. Nobody will figure out. Just keep your mouth shut," he said.

Five thousand dollars! It's a big deal! Growing up in a Christian environment, Jake knew that it was not right. But his current lifestyle, his load of taking care of Serena and his unborn child overcame his conscience.  That evening, he took his girlfriend out to celebrate his newfound big income.

Jake trusted Zack, and participated in such dishonest deals more often. After a while, Jake quit his construction work at his brother's business.  He was getting used to easy money. His life was getting wilder.

"Wake up, wake up!" Serena shook Jake's shoulder. "It's time to go to the hospital." She tried to get him up quickly.

When Jake heard the first cry of his firstborn son, he could barely hold back his tears.  He immediately fell deeply in love with this tiny baby boy, his own son!

"My son," he whispered, "my own son."  Jake's twentieth birthday was coming in just two months. He was still too young to have his own child. But that was his reality now.

Serena was exhausted, but happy to hold her first child. "I'll take care of you, my baby. I promise," she whispered to her baby boy.

"What should we name our son?" asked Jake.

"Let's call him Josh," Serena offered.

6.      Supernatural Experience

The birth of little Josh did not stop Jake from what he was already used to doing. Besides stealing expensive cars, he started with guns and everything else that came his way.  He worked cleanly, very carefully, and alone, so that most of the money would come directly to him.  He believed that he would never be caught.

Nevertheless, having a lot of money did not bring happiness either to Jake or Serena. They both wanted more fun.  When Zack offered another criminal deal, this time involving drug dealing, both Jake and Serena became involved in it.

Jake's mother, Anna, never stopped praying for her prodigal son.  Soon, Jake got the bad news.  His mother had cancer, and it was not treatable. He was overwhelmed. His mother, the most loving person in this world, was going to die soon! For the first time, he began to realize just how important she was to him.  And soon he experienced the power of her prayers.

One evening, Jake badly argued with Serena.  He slammed the door and left.  He went to one the home of one of his friends, Joel. Zack, Jake's old friend, was also there.  All of them were doing drugs.

At one point, Jake started feeling very strange. He fell down on the floor. Suddenly, he saw himself, his own body lying down next to him.

What is going on? Why I'm standing here and seeing my own body lying down on the floor? Jake was absolutely scared.  Am I dead? And what now?  God, I'm not ready to die!

He saw as Zack, his long time friend, realized that Jake's body was dead, reached into Jake's pant pocket and pulled out a big bundle of money.  From the other pocket, he pulled out a package of drugs.  He quickly put everything into his own pocket and left the room, hoping that Joel did not see it.  A moment later, Joel noticed there was something wrong with Jake, and started shaking him badly. He was very afraid to call 911.  He poured cold water over Jake's head, and tried to do some CPR.

Suddenly, Jake woke up in his body.  He was feeling bad, and his entire body was heavy as a soaked sponge.  After a while, he got up, but refused to go home.

He stayed at his friend's home for another day, taking a rest.

The next evening, he started feeling better. Jake was angry with Zack. He realized that he was really dead, but his soul was alive right there! Jake had no doubt of that. He became very scared. A human soul cannot die! But where would he go then? God would never accept him in heaven after such a life! Jake's back froze just from this thought.

Jake felt a strong desire to visit his parents.  He hadn’t been there for many years already. But he knew through his brother that they had continued to pray for his salvation.

When Jake entered his parents' house, it seemed like they all had waited for him. Anna quickly stepped toward her son, asking, "Dear son, what happened to you last night?"

How did she know? Jake thought.  He did not want to tell her the truth.

"Nothing," he replied to his mother.

"Son," his mother insisted, "I know something bad happened to you yesterday, but the Lord God spoke to me to fight for your life in prayers."

Jake still did not want to confess where he had been and what he had been doing. He simply said, "Thank you, mom, for your prayers. I really needed it."

He spent a short time at his parents' house, feeling awkward. He understood that he brought a lot of worries and tears to his parents, especially to his mother. But he couldn't change anything to make their fate easier. Yet.

As soon he left, Jake remembered Zack, the stolen money, and. When he knocked at his friend's apartment door, Zack opened it in shock and disbelief. Jake, alive, was standing right at front of him!  But he was dead last night!  How could this happen?

Zack stood speechless. Then Jake, fighting his emotions and anger inside, said, "You stole my money and drugs from my pants pockets.”

Zack couldn't believe his ears. How did he know all that? He was supposed to be dead from an overdose!  Scared to death, he couldn't open his mouth to say a word.

"All right," said Jake. "Give me my money back," he commanded. Then he added, "You may keep the drugs though."

Zack slowly went inside and brought out a part of the stolen money.

"Sorry, man, I don't have all the money. I already spent some of it."

Jake grabbed the money and left.

7.      End of Free Life

Jake did not have any doubts that his mother's prayers saved his life in his recent overdose incident. Yes, he was scared to die, yet he was not ready to change anything in his lifestyle. I have to be more careful with my drug use so such an experience does not happen again.

Little Josh was growing up. His wild spirited parents did not care to start a decent and honest life. They continued partying and doing other illegal things.

One nice morning, Jake was in a good mood. He had a plan that was supposed to bring him a fortune.  He was preparing for this for about a week. A few blocks away, there was a rich community. Jake chose one nice house after learning that its owner was going on a week-long trip. He grabbed a pair of gloves, and put them into his pocket. Then he kissed his son and left.

Jake already knew that all the closest neighbors were at work during the daytime. It was a quiet street, with no dogs around. He learned that the garage door was not connected to the security system. That was his chance to get in.

His smart brain and previous experience helped Jake to open the garage door without any extra noise or other obstacles. There it was - a beautiful shiny black Mercedes Benz. He already had a client for such a car. A few more tricks - and the car engine was on. He drove out of the garage, and stepped out to close the garage door.

At that moment, he spotted a winery cabinet in the farther corner of the garage. He got closer. Wow! That was a good collection of the best kinds of wine! I have to get this for myself, thought Jake.  He grabbed as many wine bottles as possible, trying to hold them with his left arm pressing against his chest.  One bottle started slipping down. C'mon, I do not want to leave this bottle here. Jake struggled to hold it from falling down. But the stubborn bottle continued slipping down.  He removed one glove, trying to fix the bottle. "Man, why this bottle is so slippery?!" Jake got angry, and put it back on the top of the wine cabinet.

He brought the rest of wine into the stolen car, and closed the garage door. Then he left.

The next day, Jake and Serena celebrated getting a big fortune from the latest burglary. He got decent money for the car, plus they had plenty of the best wine to party with.

Stealing cars became an ongoing business for Jake. He was very smart and not noticed by anyone, doing his black work. He couldn't stop himself, even though he had already caught the attention of the local authorities and the police. He believed that he was too smart to ever be caught.

Some of his victims were drivers who were hurrying at gas stations and had left keys inside of their cars, hoping to return in a few minutes. That brief time was enough for Jake to spot the car, get in, and drive away.  Of course, it was more dangerous since there were more chances to get a police tail behind him.

One evening, he was waiting in a hidden spot at a gas station. He needed money again, so he believed that it was time to do his job. The dark blue Acura stopped close by the gas station store. The driver jumped out and ran inside. Through the window, Jake saw him going to the bathroom.  OK, that's perfect. I'll have enough time. There was nobody around, so he jumped in the car. The key was there. Awesome! He started the engine and drove away.

After a couple of blocks, the engine died. Jake barely found a spot on the side to stop the car. He got angry. What is going on? I have to run away. He pulled a door handle, but the door did not open. When he tried to open the passenger side door, it didn't open either. Oh, no! Suddenly, the horn started blaring. Then after another moment, he heard the sirens and flashing red and blue lights all around, and he was surrounded by multiple police cars.

That was a sting car that he stole.

When after a few days Jake was taken to the court room, he got a real shock when he learned that in a list of his victims were the local judge and prosecutor. He stole their cars?! He never even thought about that! But how did they find out? He did everything cleanly; it was impossible to catch him.  Then the thought struck Jake as a bolt of lightning: he had left behind a wine bottle after touching it with his hand without a glove!!

Both the judge and prosecutor, as victims, asked for Jake to get the highest possible punishment, not just for their stolen cars.  He was charged with dealing in guns and drugs besides all his smaller crimes.  He was expected to get twenty years in prison!

Jake was in shock. He couldn't find the words; he couldn't believe that he had lost his freedom. Twenty years seemed like an eternity. During the final court session, Jake spotted his father and siblings in the courtroom, and he was overwhelmed. Where is my mother? She's not here?

After long negotiations between the judge, attorneys, and prosecutor, the final verdict was ten years of imprisonment. Jake sighed with some relief, still not believing that he had to spend long years behind bars.

After the court proceeding was over, he was allowed to see his relatives for a few short minutes, to say good-bye. Jake was very ashamed to look in his father's eyes.  "Dad, I'm sorry..." that was all that he was able to say. Then he remembered about his mother. "How is my mom, why is she not here?" Jake asked.

"Son, your mother is going to die. She is very weak and could not be here," said his father Mark. "Son, remember, she always prayed for you and will continue to do so until she's no longer able to do so."

The bitterness toward his father had kept Jake away from him for many years. After a sad moment of saying good-bye, he was taken away to serve his long term.

8.      The End of Darkness

There is no way to describe the prison environment unless you've been there for a while. As a new inmate, Jake had to learn the local rules and get used to the harsh hostility in the prison. After a month, he was emotionally drained with no hope of escape. How am I going to survive these ten long years? Many times such thoughts came into his head.

One day, a correctional officer, Mr. Adams, entered his cell. "Hello, man. How are you doing?" he asked in a friendly manner.

Jake looked at him suspiciously. What does he wants from me? How can such a person talk nice to prisoners?

"Look," continued the officer, "I know it's hard for you to be here. I heard that your family is Christian.  Would you be willing to switch to the Christian block? They have church services in a small chapel there. Some inmates are Christians, and they are allowed to gather for Bible reading and prayers."

"I'm not like my family," replied Jake. He really did not want to have anything to do with God. His heart was closed tightly from the light of Jesus.

"But at least you'll have a better chance to get an easier life while you are serving your term," the officer tried to insist.

Hmm... well, then I could try, thought Jake. I'm already sick and tired from all this hostility.

"How can I get there?" he asked the officer.

"I would suggest that you write a request to transfer you to the Christian block. Tell the authorities that you want to read a Bible and participate in church services. You have to provide a good reason so they will believe you," the officer explained. "You have a pen and a paper. I'll come back tomorrow." And he left.

Jake thought for a moment. Why not try? I know it will be a lie, but who cares? I want to get out of here.  And he sat down to write the request.

As promised, Officer Adams came back the next day and took Jake's letter to pass to the higher facility staff for consideration.

A week later, the officer came back.  "Hey man, your request was approved. Grab your stuff and let's go."

At this moment Jake fell into doubt. A quiet voice whispered him, "What are you doing? Don't go there, they won't accept you. They'll immediately expose your lie, and you'll be ashamed.  Stay here, don't go."

"I'm sorry, officer, but I’ve changed my mind," Jake said. "I'll stay here."

The officer stood for a moment by the cell door, and then said:

"Look, this is your last chance to get out of here. Either you go with me, or I won't come back anymore."

The words "this is your last chance" slammed Jake like a bolt of lightning. Something dropped inside of him as fear filled his mind. What if it's really my last chance?

"All right, I’ll go," he humbled himself and took his stuff.

When Jake arrived in the Christian block, most inmates did not pay any attention to him. A couple guys of greeted him, introducing him to the new environment. One of them, an African-American, was the most open to Jake, although the inmates in the prison in general were divided by color and were hostile to each other.

It was different in this block. Some guys sat and read the Bible. Others were chatting on pairs of two or in small groups.  They were more open to each other, but it was still a prison.

They would gather for services practically every evening. Some of them even sang Christian songs. The pastors from local churches and chaplains visited these prisoners, helping them to stand up spiritually, giving them new hope for a better future.

But Jake's soul was filled with darkness. After three days of being there, he couldn't stand it anymore. During church services, he always kept away from them, sitting in the darkened corner of the room. He ran away from God's light, from the truth. After returning to his cell, he sat down and wrote another letter, asking that he be taken back, away from this Christian block.

The next day, Jake put the letter into his pocket. That was Sunday, and they had a morning church service. As he entered chapel, he was going to drop the letter into the mail box that was on the opposite side of the room. When he was walking behind the back row, something caught his attention.  The preacher was sharing a testimony about his own previous life in prison and how God saved him.  He also shared how Jesus’ love had the power to change anyone's life.

At that moment, Jake remembered his loving mother, and a church where he attended together with his parents when he was a little boy. The Holy Spirit started working in his hardened heart. Jake didn't realize that soon he started crying. Jesus was calling him right at that moment! And he gave up. Jake fell down on his knees, forgetting about the other prisoners around him. He forgot about his shame and what the others might say about him. He didn't care anymore. He needed salvation for his broken soul.

When Jake got up, he felt as God's love and unspeakable joy filled him from inside. This was the best day of his life! Jesus set his spirit free!

When he came back to his cell, Jake's hand touched something in his pants pocket. It was the letter requesting that he be taken back out of the Christian block.  Oh, my God, thank You for giving me this chance. Thank You for saving me.  He took the letter, torn it into small pieces, and threw it away into a garbage can.

9.      So Many Changes

While the time was passing, Jake's parents got some good news: their prodigal son had given his heart to Jesus.  Anna was in her last stage of fighting her terminal illness. She was so weak that she barely could speak. Nevertheless her spirit was uplifted upon learning that God had answered her prayers.

Just a month after Jake accepted God's salvation, the officer came to him, and told him to get ready to visit his dying mother. He told him that Jake's family had requested a short visitation for him to say good-bye to his mother.

When Jake, accompanied by two officers, with his legs chained, entered his mother's room, he fell down on his knees next to his mother's bed. He cried like a small child.

"Mom, can you hear me? Please, forgive me..." The tears choked his throat. "Please...forgive me for being such a bad son..."

Anna lay on her bed unresponsive. Jake sat next to her, holding her hand, and waiting for any sign from her. It is all my fault that my mother has to die so soon, was the thought that filled his head.

Jake left his mother with heavy heart, desperate and exhausted, understanding that he had seen her for the last time in his life.

Three hours later, Anna passed away. She went to her heavenly home, to be with Jesus forever.

Back in prison, Jake couldn't overcome his grief after his mother's death. Many times he cried so much, regretting that he was a big reason for the loss of the person who loved him with all her heart. He was grateful to his Christian friends who tried to support him as much as they could.

During those black days of his life, Jake discovered that he had new talents in music. One day, when he was analyzing his past life, a new song started pouring from the inside of his soul about his beloved mother. Jake always got emotional and couldn't keep his tears when he was thinking about her, about how much she meant for him. Another inmate, his new friend Russell, who also recently gave his life to Jesus, already wrote and sang Christian songs. He also had a piano keyboard, so he offered to arrange the new song that Jake had written and dedicated to his mother.  After a few days, they even recorded that song. At that time, Jake had not the slightest idea that this recording would deeply touch others' hearts on one beautiful and special day in the future.

After that, Jake began learning to play piano and write and sing songs. He gave all the glory to Jesus Christ, who saved him and completely changed his heart.

Besides his new interest in music, Jake decided to finish his high school education since he had dropped out of high school immediately after he had left his parents' home.  He got more interested in learning and educating himself. I have so many years ahead to serve in prison, why would I waste my time here? I'll do my best to get as much education as possible, he thought.

Some classes were easy for him. Yet he struggled with his reading. The prison teachers did not care much about the inmates' learning success, so that made the learning more difficult and discouraging. Two times, Jake failed the reading final test. He was desperate.

"Dear Lord God," he cried out, "please, help me to pass this test." Jake's prayer was deep and earnest. "I need to pass this test to get my GED." He was so happy when he passed his test at the third attempt. Thank You, Lord! Thank You!

Jake's next goal in education was to get an accounting degree, and then a business degree. So he started working hard on his education plans besides other jobs and responsibilities he had there.

One night, he saw a beautiful dream: his beloved mother came to him with a bowl of anointing oil. Jake kneeled before her, and she poured the oil over his head. When he woke up, the heavenly peace filled his heart with strong determination to serve Jesus for the rest of his life.

10. Pregnant Again

"Calm down, baby, don't cry." Serena was trying to calm her little boy. Three year old Josh pulled his mother's t-shirt, begging for some food. She opened the almost empty refrigerator and sighed.

"Do you want some milk, baby? Why you are not saying anything? You are a big boy; don't you love your momma? You are supposed to talk by now."

It wasn't first time that Serena noticed that her little boy did not want to speak.  Every time when he wanted something, he pulled on her clothes making some unclear noises. But she did not bother to take him to doctor.

After Jake's arrest, she had struggled between taking care of her little boy and the part time job she recently got.  She had to take her son here and there to her friends while she was working.  Serena hated such a life; she used to live so wildly.

One morning, she felt sick. She barely had a moment to run to the bathroom. What is that? The suspicion flew through her mind. Again?

The pregnancy test showed a positive result.

"What am I'm gonna do with two kids? Jake is not here, I'm all alone in this small apartment. I have no money for a good babysitter..." Serena was desperate.

I have to do something. Should I tell Jake about it now or later? She was in doubt. He wouldn't be able to support her in any way at this time.  Well, I'll wait for a while, then I'll see, she decided.

"Hey, Nelly, are you busy this evening?" she asked, calling one of her close friends.

"Sure, what's up?" Nelly replied.

"Would you mind to stop by my home? I have no babysitter tonight for my son, but I think we'll be fine after I take him to bed."

When Nelly came, Serena asked her to play a little bit with her little boy while she was making some fruit puree to feed him before bed time.

"He is so cute, your son," said Nelly.

"Yes, he is. But I wish he would listen to me more," complained Serena. "He is already three years old, and should be more responsive when I call him."

After feeding Josh and giving him some juice from the bottle, Serena left him in a playpen and sat on the sofa.  She looked distracted and confused.

"Anything wrong? Are you feeling OK?" Nelly asked.

"No, I'm not OK. And I don't know what to do," sighed Serena. "I'm pregnant again.  And I don't know what to do with another baby."

"Did you consider an abortion?" her friend suggested.

"Well, I thought about that for the first time, when I got pregnant with Josh. But Jake convinced me not to do so, so I agreed to keep the baby. And, honestly, I fell in love with my son right after I saw him for the first time."

"And who is the father of this new one?" asked Nelly.

"Jake, of course!" Serena got angry. "Who else?"

"Calm down, girl. I'm just asking," replied Nelly. "But he is in prison. What are you going to do?"

"I don't know if I should tell him now or wait for later."

"I got an idea: do not tell him anything yet. Tell him after you give birth," Nelly suggested. "Do you think he still loves you? Will he come back to you after prison?"

"I guess so... I wish... I don't know." Serena was tired.

"Then keep it a secret. You'll see his reaction then."

"OK, I'll do that," she agreed.

11.  Unexpected Surprise

"Hey, Jake, you got mail."

"What is that? Let me see it." Jake grabbed the envelope and opened it. He saw a letter.  Serena's hand writing.  Hmm... She never wrote me any letters before.  What can it be? He wondered.  Jake sat on his bed and started reading.

"What?! A baby girl?!" Jake was in shock. How it could be? No way, it can't be mine.

"Are you OK, man?" asked his friend Russell.

"Can you believe it? She says she has a baby girl and I'm the father!" Jake couldn't keep his anger down.

"Man, how could she prove it's your baby?" questioned Russell. "Wait, how long have you been in prison?"

"It's.... it's  been seven months."

"So why do you think it can't be your baby?"

"I don't know. How can I know if she didn't have anyone beside me?" Jake did not want to give up.

"Listen," Russell insisted. "You are a man of God, right? You asked Jesus to forgive your sins, right? You decided to serve the Lord with humility, accepting all your responsibilities, right?"

Jake nodded his head silently.

"Then, if this is your child, you are responsible for her." said Russell.

"But I need to prove if it's really my child," protested Jake.

"All right, do that. Paternity testing is available these days. You just write a request," suggested Russell.

"Actually, I'll do the tests for both children.  I don't really trust her," Jake decided.  A couple of weeks later, the test results came. Both children were Jake's.

A new realization came into his head. I am a father of two children. I am in prison, and can't do anything for them. How will Serena take care of them? He started worrying, knowing her lifestyle.

I will pray for them, at least, Jake decided. He also asked his sister Angela to contact Serena more often, and to check on the kids. He had no idea what would be the soonest he could see his children, and meet his newborn baby girl.

Months passed, but Angela couldn't bring good news to Jake about his children. Many times, she tried to contact Serena and meet her kids.  On the phone, Angela could hear many noises and voices in the background, while Serena seemed drunk while talking on the phone.  Every time, she found excuses not to let Angela come and see the kids.

Finally, after long ten months, Angela was able to make a visit to Serena’s apartment.  What she saw gave her a shock.  Little Josh was like a wild Tarzan, running around, jumping, and not listening at all.  The baby, little Sylvia,... oh poor girl!  She was so skinny and underweight!  When Angela took her in her arms, she noticed some bald spots on her little head.  The baby was suffering from malnutrition.

With a heavy heart, Angela left Serena's home.  I have to do something to save these kids.

When she came home, her family did not support her decision.

"I'm going to fight for these kids' well being. They cannot live in such terrible conditions. And Jake cannot help right now." She was very upset about their non-support.

At the very next chance, Angela visited her brother and explained all about the situation. Jake's heart was heavy; he couldn't help his own kids!

"Here is the only one thing I can do to protect my children," Jake said to Angela.  "I have to give up my own rights for custody to you. Would you be willing to apply for at least partial custody so you'd be able to take care of them?"

Angela had already made her decision in her heart. She was waiting to hear it from her brother.

"Of course, I'll do everything I can to save your children," she immediately agreed.

Angela hired an attorney and the process started. Soon, the trial day was set, and she was getting her home ready to accept those kids, if it was God's will.

Jake was praying a lot about his children's safety.  Oh, how much he'd like to hug them, hold them, and take care of them! But that was not possible any time soon.

He decided to fast for three days before the coming court date.  And God heard his earnest prayers. During his third day of fasting, Jake heard a quiet voice inside of him: "The kids are yours, My son. You don't have to worry about it anymore."

Jake got up in an elevated spirit. God is answering my prayer! Praise the Lord!

In three days, Angela came to the court. Serena was there too. Angela expected to get partial custody of the kids. When the judge asked Serena all kinds of questions, she got angry and started arguing with him. She was visibly under the influence. She didn't care to come to the court room in a clear mind!

From such behavior, the judge got angry.  He said, "How can such a person even come close to little children? She can't take care of herself, much less others."

The final verdict was that Angela got the full custody of the children, and Serena even lost all her rights to even see her kids.  She was totally cut off from their lives.

When Serena heard this, she immediately sobered up. But it was too late.  She started sobbing.

"My babies... my babies... I won't see them anymore..." She got desperate. Serena never imagined that it would turn out this way.

Angela came close and sat down next to her.  She was deeply sorry for this young mother who had lost her children.  Angela tried to give some comfort to Serena.

"Listen to me.  I promise, I'll take care of your children.  I will send you the pictures of them from time to time so you'll see how they are growing up."

When Jake learned about the court decision, he was so grateful and thankful to God.  “Thank You, dear Lord, for protecting my kids. You are the Father of them now. Thank You!"

Three years passed before Jake finally met his little girl Sylvia for the first time. Josh was also there. Both kids were happy to meet their dad who still had to serve more long years in prison.

12. Father-son Forgiveness

After his dear wife passed away, Jake’s father Mark couldn't find peace in his heart. He realized how much Anna meant to him. The emptiness weighed on him, although his children and grandchildren were around him every day. He refused to go to church in the evenings and or to participate in the usual activities he used to do. Rather, he sat down looking nowhere and trying to forget reality.

The Bible was his comfort in those dark days. He had more time to rethink his life, and his relationships with each of his children, especially with his son Jake. The more he thought about him, the more he realized how many times he  did not want to listen to his son. He recalled the many times that he ignored his son's attempts to explain some difficult situations or conflicts with kids from school or the neighbors' boys, or just between him and his siblings. It was much easier for Mark to blame his overactive son for all his troubles.

What if he wanted my understanding? What if he was not at fault many of those times? thought Mark with heaviness in his heart. And dear Anna, I didn't even allow her to see our son after I kicked him out of the house. How could I be that cruel? The more he dwelled on such thoughts, the more he felt guilty.

Although Jake had recently given his life to Jesus, Mark still was uneasy about communicating openly with his son.

One morning, Jake was called out of his cell for a visit.

"Your father is here," said the officer.

"Hi, Dad. I'm glad you came," Jake began the conversation first. After turning his life over to God and after his mother's death, he felt guilty for all he had done wrong, and was looking to talk to his father as soon as it was possible.

"Hello, son." Mark's voice trembled. "I want to talk to you.  Would you forgive me for the fact that I never had time for you when you were young? I was indifferent to your needs and feelings." Mark couldn't hold back his tears.

"No, father, that was all my fault. I do not blame you at all. I know you tried to do the best that you could. I know I hurt you a lot with my rebellious behavior. Please, forgive me, father!"

Hugging each other, both father and son wept out all their forgiveness, guilt, and regret about those long years that had separated them emotionally.  After a short prayer, a new beginning filled their hearts, turning them toward each other, looking forward to a better future.

13. Angela's Struggles

Although Angela got Jake's rights to fight for the kids' safety, she wasn't completely prepared for the outcome. She didn't expect to get full custody of her nephew and niece. Being single, it wasn't easy to take the little kids home and baby-sit them 24/7. At first, her immediate family was not supportive. They remembered Jake as a bad guy who got involved with a girl not any better than him, with two out of wedlock children. After Jake was imprisoned, they didn't have any opportunities to see his kids. Serena lived a wild life and didn't even try to stay in touch with them. All her attention was on fun and drugs.

But Angela's heart was so broken for these kids that she didn't hesitate to accept them and take care of them, determined to do whatever it would take. She was firmly determined to sacrifice her life to save those little ones. Luckily, she had recently started working from home, so she didn't have to find babysitters for the children very often.  Yet, life was very difficult. Little Josh was still like a wild Tarzan. He did not communicate well, and he couldn't even talk!

Angela got worried about why her little boy couldn’t talk. He was already five years old.  This is not normal, she thought. I have to take him to the doctor immediately.

The tests showed that Josh's hearing was only fifty percent of normal.

"How could this happen?" She was so upset.

"He was born with normal hearing," said his doctor. "Unfortunately, his mother did not take care of him when he got his ears sulfur plugged; she didn't bother to take him to the doctor on time.  After a while, it caused his loss of hearing. And that's why he can't speak.  The boy did not hear well, so he did not learn to talk."

Angela was angry and upset.

"Is there any way to fix this problem?" she asked desperately.

"We can order a hearing aid for him," said the doctor. "He'll be able to hear as well as normal and learn to talk as well. But he'll need to have speech therapy session once a week."

"For how long?" Angela wondered.

"It depends. But be ready for approximately five to seven years to achieve complete speech recovery. I'm sorry; I can't help to make it quicker."

The weekly speech therapy appointments added even more pressure on Angela. And little Sylvia was underweight, and required extra care. Angela was exhausted.

A few months later, she got a call one day from her friend Lucy who lived two hours away. After a long phone conversation, Lucy got an idea.

"Would you be able to find a babysitter for a day and come over to my home? Girl, you need a short rest. Come to me, and we could talk some more about your situation."

Angela was grateful for such an opportunity. She was able to bring kids to her older married sister Alison’s house, promising that she'd be back by nighttime.

Lucy was a strong and faithful woman of God. She was still young, but she loved Jesus with all her heart. When Angela arrived, she offered to pray together with her. During prayers, they both began feeling the strong presence of the Holy Spirit in the room. Suddenly, Lucy received the word of knowledge for Angela:

"God gave these children to you for a time. Love them with all your heart and take care of them. God will give you all the strength you require, and will meet all your needs. Amen."

That was amazing! Angela's spirit uplifted with joy, her strength was renewed, and she was full of hope and gratefulness. She needed that so much!  Thank You, Lord! Thank You!

When Angela came back after her one day trip, Alison offered her a cup of tea with fresh homemade scones.

"Please, sit down for a few minutes," she invited Angela to the table. She couldn't resist the nice orange glaze smell so she gladly agreed before getting the kids ready to go home.

"Look," started Alison, "Nathan and I were talking about you and the kids. We understand that it's really hard for you, a young single girl, to take care of both children.  We would like to offer you some help. Would you mind giving little Sylvia to us so that we would take care of her as one of our own children?"

"Oh, really?" Angela was surprised. "Well, I guess, I should accept your help. Thank you, dear. And say thanks to your husband, too."

After some arrangements, Alison got Sylvia to her home. That was a huge relief to Angela, who still had a lot to do for Josh.

Later, another married sister, Lena, offered help with Josh. From time to time, she took her nephew to her home for a month or two so that Lena could get rest and refreshment.

After hard work, and with help of hearing aid devices, little Josh's behavior became more stable. He started talking and enjoying life with his multiple cousins.

Little Sylvia gained weight and became a little princess, loved by everyone around.

14. The Lost Hope

"Hey, man, you got mail."

"Serena?" Jake was wondering. And what is the return address?

He opened the letter, and started reading. Serena was writing from prison. She was sent there for drug dealing. She complained that it was very hard there.

"I'm so exhausted. I want to be with you, Jake," she wrote. "It was much better when you took care about me and our son.  Now I have to be here for a year. I want to be a better mother, I want my kids back. I miss them so much!" Serena cried.

"Dear Serena," Jake started to write back, "I'm sorry for your situation. Let me share with you some good news: getting locked behind bars led me to meet Jesus. I gave my life to Him. God changed me completely from the inside.  I have peace in my heart. Jesus Christ washed away my sins. Yes, I understand that I have to pay for my crimes, but I'm free in my spirit. I'm filled with joy and hope.  Please, go to Jesus. He will change your life. Then we'll have a chance to be together, raise our kids together, and love each other."

Oh, how he missed her! Jake just realized that deep in his heart he still loved Serena. She was his first love, his first real affection!

After a couple of months, when he opened another letter, Serena wrote:

"Dear Jake, I was allowed to visit a Bible study group. They gave me a Bible to read. I stay away from drugs. I want a new life. I want to be free in Jesus."

Jake was so happy! His hopes were raised. How much he would like to get back together and make a good Christian family, raising their children!

Time passed, and Serena finished serving her term. Hers was much shorter compared to Jake's. Lucky her, he thought. I hope that she will stay strong in her faith, Jake worried.

It was very hard to earn money in prison. The wages were ridiculously low. Jake couldn't afford to make frequent calls to Serena, to hear her voice, to encourage her to stay strong.

One day, Jake called Serena. Her voice was weird. He heard some male voices in the background. "Hey, Serena, what is going on there? Are you OK?" Jake worried.

"Man, I have to live my life. I'm tired of this religion, you understand?" Serena's voice was unsteady. "I'm with my friend. We have a business together. OK, I gotta go." And she hung up.

What? What is going on? I believed her that her life was changed! That she gave her life to God! Jake was so hurt. Lord, I really wanted her to change, I really hoped we'd make a good family after I get out, he cried.

Jake couldn't think about anything else. Serena's attitude toward their relationship pressed on him as a heavy weight.  Soon, his suspicions were confirmed: she cheated on him, being with someone else.

He was overwhelmed. He still loved her. The new reality was like a burning flame. How could she do that to him?

Soon, he heard more bad news: Serena was arrested for participation in the murder of one of her friends.  Nothing looked better in her life. It had gotten worse.

During that dark time, Jake put his trust in Jesus. He started seeking out God's will for his future life. One day, he was reading the Bible and came to the story of Sodom and Gomorra, how God sent His Angels to take Lot's family away. When he read about Lot's wife as she looked back and turned to a salt pillar, Jake heard a clear voice in his mind: "Son, if you will choose to stay with Serena, you'll get back to that life. You can't go back to her if you want to stay with Jesus. She is in darkness, and darkness cannot stay together with light."

Deep in his heart, Jake knew that was voice of God. "Thank You, Lord, for your support. Thank You for guiding me in this difficult time. If that's Your will, please, take away all my feelings to her... otherwise I'll fail. You know, God, I can't rely on my own strength. You are my strength, Lord."

15. My Father is My Hero

Time was passing, and Jake's kids grew up as well. Both Josh and Sylvia were surrounded by multiple relatives who loved them and cared for them.

One day, Josh asked Angela, "Why do my dad and mom do not live with us? Where are they?"

"Do you remember them?" Angela asked.

"Yes, I remember when I hid from my dad when he was talking to some guy next to his car in the parking lot. It was fun to play hide and seek, but my daddy was not happy when he found me," shared Josh.

"What happened?" Angela wondered.

"Dad went outside to talk to his friend. I followed him. I saw that they started arguing. I got scared, but did not want them to see me. So I ran across the street to the neighboring apartment building, and sat quietly on the stairs."

"How did your dad find you?"

"I don't remember everything, but I was afraid to leave. And I heard my dad had started calling me and looking around. But I did not respond. Later he found me, and was upset," finished Josh.

Only years later, Jake shared this story with Angela. He did not know that his little son had followed him to the parking lot where Jake met someone for drug dealing. He did not realize that his little son became a witness to their argument and that it scared the little boy away. When Jake came back home, his son was missing! Despite his lifestyle, Jake loved his son with all his heart. He ran outside, looking everywhere, and calling his son. It took him more than an hour to find Jake, safe but scared, sitting on the neighboring apartment building’s stairway. That was a huge relief after such a stressful day.

"Why can’t I see my dad for such a long time?" Jake continued asking his auntie.

"Your dad has a very important job," Angela tried to explain to him.

"What is he doing there?"

"He is a firefighter."

"A real firefighter?!  Wow, my dad is a firefighter!" Josh was excited.

"Wait, I want to show you something," Angela said.  Just a few days ago, she had received a letter from her brother. After opening the envelope, she found a nice photo of her brother: a tall and handsome Jake in a firefighter's uniform, next to the fire truck. The picture came just in time, she thought.

"Look," Angela said, giving the picture to her nephew.

"Wow! He saves houses and people from fire! My dad is a hero! Wow!" Josh couldn't stop his amusement and excitement.

"Auntie, when I can go and see my dad?" Jake asked impatiently.

"Well, let me check something," Angela replied. "Maybe we'll figure out what we could do about that."

A few days later, Angela and Josh visited her sister Alison. "Sylvia, I have something to tell you." Josh was excited to share his news with his little sister.

"What is that?" Sylvia wondered.

"Our dad is a hero! He is a real firefighter! I want to be like him when I grow up." Josh was so happy. "And we may visit him soon."

Little Sylvia had never asked about her parents before. But at her age of four, she had already noticed that other children around her had their dad and mom, but she didn't. She was loved by others, but felt something different that she couldn't explain.

"How would I recognize him?" she wondered. "I never met my dad." Sylvia seemed a little sad.

"So you will meet him soon. He is so tall and handsome! You will like him." Josh poured out his enthusiasm to her sister.

Two weeks later, Angela brought some news:

"Tomorrow, we are going to visit your dad. So get ready, get your best clothes, and be a nice boy. Sylvia is also coming with us."

"Yes! Yes! I'll see my dad!" Josh was so happy. Jake was so glad that he was not required to wear the same color uniform as he usually did in prison. He was expecting to see his kids, and to meet his little daughter for the first time!

"Daddy! Daddy!" Josh ran to his father's arms. Sylvia followed behind, holding Angela's hand.

"Hey, Sylvia. Come here, come to your daddy," Jake invited. She stepped closer with an examining look. Then she came quietly to her dad, to his big and warm hug, for the first time in her life.

That was a precious moment. "Oh, you are so beautiful, my little princess! And you, Josh, are growing bigger."

"Daddy, would you show us where do you work?" Josh asked his dad.

"Of course, I'll show you." Jake took his kids and Angela to the fire department. On the way, he introduced them to his friends and coworkers. There was a red shiny fire truck in the garage. Jake opened the door, and helped the children to get in. Both kids were so excited to sit in the fire truck that their dad drove to work.

A little later, Jake asked Angela, "Would you mind taking care of Sylvia a short time? Here is a nice playroom for visitors. I really need to talk to my son."

"Sure, I understand." Angela offered her niece an opportunity to play together.

Jake and Josh went outside. There was a nice walking path next to the visitors' room.

"Josh," he began, "you are a big boy now. And I want to talk to you as a big boy. I want to tell you something very important. Would you like to know what that is?" he asked.

"Yes, Daddy, what is that?"

"Son, I want to tell you something. In my younger years, I was not a good son to my parents. I started doing bad things. I even did bad things when you were a baby. And because of that, I ended up in prison. I want you to know the truth. And I also want you to know that I love you so much. Jesus changed my life forever, and I am not that bad person anymore. But I have to serve more years for what I did before."

Jake did not know what to expect from his son after such a confession. He understood that he must tell the truth to his children some day.  And when Josh hugged him and said, "I love you, daddy," Jake felt completely relieved. He was not afraid anymore about their future together. God was so good to him though all these years.

16. To Choose a Spouse

"You are going to be a gorgeous bride," said Elise to her one-year younger sister Maya.  "I can't believe you'll be married tomorrow!"

Elise was the oldest child in her family. Although she was happy for her sister, she tried to hide a slight concern that she was still remaining single.

Phil, her soon to be brother-in-law, was a man of prayer. Not many single young men are as dedicated to God as he was. As a teenager, Maya followed such a smart recommendation from her mother, to start praying for her future husband. She did not know who that would be, but she continued her trust in God in this important matter in her life. Later, her closest friends laughed at her list of requirements for her future husband that she wrote down.

After dating a couple of guys, Maya started losing her hope of finding a good husband that would fit all her list points.

"Do you still believe you'll find such a husband?" her girlfriends teased her.  "You set too high requirements. Forget about that, take what is available."

And Maya came to give up her wishes about her future husband. But with her latest boyfriend Colt, she realized that she would not be able to live a long and happy life with him. She loved to be fully involved in church ministry, so she expected her future husband to be involved as well.  Colt was only doing a small amount of work at church. While Maya tried to read the Bible and pray together with Colt, he showed very little interest. How in the world would he become a godly man and the head of his family if he has no interest in reading the Bible together, if he has no interest in leading prayers? She was very concerned about that.

One day, the youth from Maya's church had visitors: a number of youth from Nevada. They made new good friends spending two days together. Maya's attention was caught by one of their leaders, Phil. He was a good looking man, very friendly but cautious around girls. Maya figured out that he was a real leader and that young people turned to him for spiritual support and prayers. When she found out that he was seven years older than her, she didn't even think anything personal toward him. Instead, she needed someone to help her with her own struggles with Colt, her current boyfriend. Maya did not want to hurt him by leaving him for good, but couldn't bring herself to do that so difficult step of separation forever. She really needed someone who'd listen to her and help her to do the right thing.

After the guest youth left, a few days later Maya decided to contact their leader Phil.  She really needed help.

"You can't tie yourself to a person who  definitely is at a lower spiritual level than you are," said Phil. "If you want to serve the Lord fully and not be dragged down, you have to leave this friendship." He tried not to put any pressure on her, being in a mentor role.

After several such conversations with Phil, Maya decided to fast and pray for three days in a row before her final conversation with Colt and saying good-bye.

"Please, give me another chance," pleaded Colt." I'll try to change; I don't want to break up with you."

"I'm very sorry. You already used up a second chance; I already told you what kind of a man I'm looking for. Those qualities are not in you, I cannot and I'm not going to change you. God bless you. Good-bye."

Maya cried for several days after the break-up. It was so difficult! Yet she did not regret her decision.  She looked forward to the life in which  she could fully serve Jesus with all her talents and possibilities.

Her new friend Phil lived far away in a different state. After several conversations with Maya, he began thinking of her more and more. God, for years I prayed for a wife who would fully serve You together with me, that would not afraid to go on missionary trips, to be involved in church ministry.  Is she the right one? Her wishes match my wishes.  Phil wondered. He called his good friend and Pastor Joel from Idaho.

"Hey, Joel."

"What's up, buddy?" asked his friend.

"I'm thinking about one girl. I think she would be the perfect match for me. I prayed for such a girl for years. But I am kind of scared to call her, because she asked for my mentoring in her personal relationship issues not a long time ago."

"What are you scared about? Come on, man. Hang up, and call her right now." Joel enjoyed the conversation with one of his best friends. "I'll pray for you, so move on."

Phil never regretted his decision. He found the girl of his heart. And she'd be his forever.

The church was packed with guests. The ceremony was wonderful. The presence of the Holy Spirit was there so perceptibly! Phil and Maya's friends, along with all the other guests, earnestly prayed for God's blessing for the new family.

Elise was happy for her sister.  God, I want a husband like Phil. Would you give me such a blessing, Lord? She wished with all her heart.

17. Is There Anyone for Me?

Elise often looked at her sister's wedding portrait. She is lucky. God, why am I still single? Don't You have anyone for me like Phil? Her mother tried to support her, saying, "Don't worry, trust in God, and your time will come."

Oh, how much Elise longed for a real love from a man figure in her life! Since childhood, she had tried to find that caring and loving manly personality in her father. But he was closed. How much she wanted to have cozy evenings during family Bible reading and just talking about anything.  Alas, that was not a tradition in her family.  Elise knew that her mother Christi was also struggling with her indifferent husband.

Christi grew up with an alcoholic father. Her mother, Elaina, was a Christian woman but she was shut up in her own problems. They never had family prayers. They barely had talks together as a family. When Christi was seventeen, her mother's patience ended. She called her three children, asking for three days of fasting and prayer for their father, Jacob. Christi felt so awkward in praying together with her mother. They never had that experience before. Nevertheless, God listened to their prayers.

After three days of prayers and fasting, on Sunday morning, Jacob got up earlier. He couldn't find peace. Something was happening in his soul.

“My dear wife,” Jacob turned to Elaina. “Would you please forgive me for all I did to you? For being such a bad husband? For drinking and hurting you through all those years?”

“My children, would you please forgive your father who has never been a good example for you?” Jacob cried.

On that day, he went to church and gave his life to Jesus.  That was a real miracle for all the family and the proof that God answers prayers when two or three decide to ask for something in Jesus' name.

But their father's transformation did not change the family’s traditions much. They missed the point of starting family prayers and Bible reading, even that late.   Christi watched at her grandparents' home, where her grandfather was a pastor of a small village church, as they always had prayers together. She loved it when her grandpa came home for lunch. He always read the Bible out loud, and then had a short conversation with his family.  Christi wanted such a husband who would be a spiritual leader.  She honestly believed that every normal Christian family had such good traditions, unlike her own family with an alcoholic father for most of the years of her childhood and teenage years.

In her youthful years, she fell in love with a young man, Victor. He was from a normal (as she believed) Christian family. Christi was absolutely sure that his family had such traditions as she had always longed for.  Since her young years, she was very involved in church ministry, singing, Sunday school teaching, visiting the elderly and disabled people, and other good activities.  She believed that together with her newlywed husband they would serve God together.  And they did at the beginning. They sang in a choir together, and they both also were teaching a Sunday school class.  But after a very few months, Christi realized that her husband did not like working with kids, nor had he shown any support for her. That had a real and unexpected impact on her. She felt like her hands were tied.  She used her first pregnancy as an excuse to leave all ministry work in the church.

Through the years of misunderstanding and indifference from her husband, Christi tried to teach her daughters about their future choices of spouses.

Elise, the oldest daughter, in her teenage years, came to understand her mother. Both the mother as well as the daughters were missing the real male figure who would not only provide for them financially, but also care about their spiritual and emotional needs.

After several relationships and break ups, Elise was desperate. Her faith was facing a real test. "Lord, I want to serve You, and not alone, but with a husband." She prayed many times. "Is there anyone for me?"

18. The Meeting

During one Sunday morning service, Elise saw a young man who came to the service with one of her friends. Her church was small, so the members knew each other as a family. After worship, the young man was invited to share his testimony.  He told a little bit about his prior bad life, and how God saved him and reunited him with his kids.

He didn't mention his wife, Elise noticed.

After church, young people gathered together for a cup of coffee. Elise's friend introduced this good looking young man.

"This is Jake, my new friend."

"Hello, guys, nice to meet you."

"Thank you for such a powerful testimony," said Elise. She always liked encouraging others for good things.

A few days later, Elise found Jake on Facebook. As they had already met, she invited him to be friends.  He accepted.

Elise was wondering, who is this young man? She decided to write him a short message.

"Hi, Jake. That was nice to meet you at my church. I really liked your testimony," she began the conversation.

After his response and a short chat, Elise decided to ask him a more personal question.

"You said you have kids. What about your wife?" she wondered.

"I do not have a wife." Jake replied. "I had a girlfriend before I got into prison. But now she is out of my life and out of my kids’ lives. The children are with me now."

"Oh, thanks for sharing. May God bless you and your children so they will have a new and good mother."

Who is this girl that cares for my kids? Jake thought. After he got out of prison, he did not have any plans at least in near future to get married.

A couple of weeks later, they met again. They were walking on a city street as a group, sharing the Good News with people who were willing to listen.

"Lord, he reminds me of Phil, my sister's husband. He is so caring and a man of prayer." Elise was trying to watch Jake and everything that he was doing.  After that, the group of Elise's friends gathered in the nearest café. Jake was there too, and they all had a nice time.

I would like to learn more about this young man, Elise thought. But I'm in doubt: I know that my parents, especially father, won't be happy if they'll learn that he is out of prison and already has kids. I can either turn and walk away, or give it a try and learn more about him.

Jake couldn't get Elise out of his mind either. There is something special in her, he thought. I have to meet her again.

During their following conversations, Elise learned that Jake was actually the brother of her friend Angela, and that she took care of his children.

"Wow, I guess I met your son a year ago. I had no idea that was your son," Elise said. "And I was very impressed by Angela's sacrificial life of taking care of those kids."

Elise was really happy that Angela had recently found a good husband in her late twenties despite the fact that she was busy with her nephew.

She's not jealous, concluded Jake after more and more conversations with Elise.  And she is always giving blessing to others, even those who seem luckier in their lives. He also was touched by her sympathy to others who went through hard times.

19. The Waterfront

One quiet evening, Jake took Elise to the waterfront.  It was very beautiful, and there were not many people around.

"Dear, I like you very much. You captured my mind." Jake said. "I would like to learn more about you," he stated.

"Yes," Elise replied, "I'd like to learn about you too."

"Jake, I heard some things about your life. You said that you had to serve in prison for ten years. But how many years were you really in there?" Elise wondered.

"For good behavior, they released me two years early. So I was in there for only eight years."

"It's still so long. How did you do it? I can't imagine such long years with no freedom," Elise replied.

"You know, when Jesus came into my heart, my life got a new beginning. Before prison, I was free outside, but inside I was a slave of sin. When I gave my life to God, He set me free from inside, although I still was not free from the outside.  The freedom of your soul is much better than just freedom for your physical body without God. Sure, I wanted to become a free man, but my Lord guided me and helped me though all those long years. Through the difficulties, I experienced so many miracles right there, in prison. I met many good new friends among born-again inmates and visiting pastors who took care of our souls."

"Besides that," continued Jake, "I learned a lot of good things like a college level education. I also learned how to play piano and write songs and sing.  My life was not boring there. Together with my friends we also had many fun things to do such as regular fitness workouts." Yea, I definitely could see that, Elise thought, looking at his biceps. She really liked that kind of man, fit and strong.

Every time they met, Jake always had many fun stories to share. He himself was a fun and interesting person. Everyone loved to be in his company.

He also shared that his own sisters and brothers couldn't believe how God changed him. He was a completely different person after prison compared to what he was before. The transformation was huge.

The longer Jake and Elise met, the more they become convinced that they should go forward to a marriage commitment.

One day, Elise received a Facebook message.

"Hey, don't dare to get into any relationship with Jake. You are not worthy of him," she wrote. "He should find a better girl than you."

What? Who is this girl? Elise was stunned. What is she talking about? And her name, Celia Post, was new to her.

"I told Jake about you." The girl continued pressing on Elise.

Fear and obscurity filled Elise's mind. I have to talk to him immediately.

When she tried calling Jake, she already felt that something was wrong. He didn't say anything, but he wasn't as open as before.

After several attempts, Elise called him and said: "I guess I know what is going on, although you are not telling me. Do you know a girl named Celia Post?"

Jake was caught off guard.

"How do you know her?" he asked. "She is from my church."

"Did she tell you anything about me?" Elise insisted.

Jake didn't know what to say first. Then he said, "Yes, she told me something about you."

"What was that?" Elise asked.

That wasn't easy. Jake heard that Elise had a bad life before and lied to other guys.  Was that true? he thought. He was really upset, and was thinking about breaking up with Elise.

Then he decided: "Let's meet at the waterfront this evening so we can talk," he offered.  A heavy feeling pushed Jake down. Will be this our last meeting? Will she tell the truth?

"OK, tell me what is going on," started Elise.

Jake was silent for a short time, and then briefly said what he had heard about her. What he really expected to hear was the lie. He thought that Elise would hide anything bad that had happened in her life, to try to keep him.  Surprisingly, Elise started talking openly about his questions.

"What you heard about me, is only partially true. Yes, I wanted to find a good man for my future life together, as any other girl would do. But I never broke up anyone else's relationships, as you heard. If guys liked me, that was their choice. I did not go out with anyone, but only with those who would potentially be a soul mate for me. Yes, I had a couple of boyfriends before you, but I broke up with them because they did not match my expectations. They were thinking only about themselves. They didn't care about others. I used to be heavily involved in church activities. I also went on several missionary trips. I went to feed the homeless. I was looking for such a man for my life who would share my interests and passions. Yes, I'm not perfect; everyone makes mistakes." As you did too, she thought. "And it's up to you, to believe that girl or trust me. I have enough to worry about," Elise finished.

A hard realization came to Jake's head. He sat silently for a while. Then he embraced Elise in a firm hug.

"Thank you. Thank you for opening up and telling me the truth." He couldn't continue. He just thought, Lord, I almost lost her. "You are the person I'm looking forward to staying together with," Jake said after a while.

20. The Drama

Elise understood that she couldn't hide her relationship with Jake forever. It was time to reveal it to her parents. Slowly, she started telling them more and more about her new boyfriend.

Christi, Elise's mother, already knew that Jake had kids. That was not a problem for her. She loved children with all her heart. She had devoted years as a Sunday school teacher. She was open to hosting orphans from other countries that her church organized. Unfortunately, her husband's heart was closed to such ideas. Christi was hurt that she couldn't accept a child to host for summer vacation. Now with such a possibility, accepting those kids into her family didn't scare her.

And because Christi and Victor had many opposite views on some things, she couldn't openly start talking about Elise's choice. She wanted their daughter to reveal all the details to her father by herself.

One evening, Elise told her father that Jake actually recently came out of prison.

"Well, it's not the best choice, but if God saved him, that's OK. You are choosing for yourself and you will live with him, not me," Victor said.

But after he learned that Jake had kids, he changed his mind. Nobody in his extended family had such marriages. All married as normal, young men and women; all have stable and strong families. And now this? With his own daughter? Victor couldn't imagine such a situation. That was a real shock to him.

The next morning, Victor couldn't get up. Something was definitely wrong. After a while, he forced himself to get up, and left to go to work. The shock was so big that he barely could concentrate on his job. The next day, he went to his doctor, and was prescribed some medication to stabilize his health condition.

Victor didn't want to talk about anything, but the reality was there.  In conversations with his closest relatives and friends, everything looked negative. Someone even told him that Jake should be considered as a divorced man.  Such an issue was always difficult to manage among most Christian churches. And marrying a divorced man was considered a sin.

One day he asked his wife:

"What do you think about all this?"

"Well," started Christi, "while trying to base my opinion on the Bible’s teaching, I couldn't find anything against it.  According to the Bible, Jake cannot be considered as a divorced person. Jesus told the Samaritan woman that the man who she lived with was not her husband.  So our daughter has all rights to chose Jake and not sin," she continued. "And if it's God's will, how could I stand against it?  If Jake repented and Jesus saved his heart, I believe that God will continue working in his life, to bring it in order.  God would provide him with a good family and a good mother to his children. Why would I think that Elise is not capable of such a role?  Yes, I agree, it could be difficult for her, but whose life is easy?" Christi almost cried. "I was married in the right way, and so what? Was my life easy? I wouldn't say so," she ended emotionally but quietly.

It was difficult to try to change her stubborn husband's mind. Basically, it was almost impossible. And Christi knew this after more than two decades of their marriage.  She decided to put all her trust in God about this issue. Only He can change hearts. Only Jesus.

One Sunday evening, after church, Christi's parents came for a short visit. After a while, they heard the door bell. Elise entered, saying she had company.

"Let them in," Christi invited.

That was Jake with his kids. Elise really wanted to introduce him to her father, but she didn't expect her grandparents to be there at that moment.

They entered. Jake knew that Elise's family had a hard time accepting such a possibility.   He greeted everyone in the room with warm smile. Why was that such a shock for everyone except Elise's mom? They managed to hide their feelings, so Jake sat and decided that the first thing he should tell them about himself was how God had changed his life.

After a short visit, Jake and children left.

What a drama exploded after that!

"Are you out of your mind?! What are you doing?" Both grandparents together with her father attacked Elise. "You are so young, why do you need someone else's kids? And what will other people say? Do you know what troubles may come after this?"

The conversation was heated, but Elise stayed calm. Inside, she felt her mother's support. When Christi's parents asked her what she thought about this, she simply said, "I can keep my own opinion to myself."

"Don't assault my mom," Elise said firmly, trying to protect her mother from their attacks.

Christi was caught between fires. She wanted to keep peace between her and her husband and her parents, but she understood that she could not lose her daughter either. She understood that Elise would have a hard time going through this period, and later, she might need more support when she got married. Life is not easy anyway. Why should I make Elise's life even more difficult by not accepting her choice? Christi thought.

"You know what?" continued Jacob, Elise's grandfather. "Go and tell him that you are not allowed to get married to him and that you are still young, and that you'll find another man. And your parents wouldn't give their blessing for such a marriage."

Elise couldn't handle it anymore. Hiding her emotions, she stood up and left them. She ran to her car, and burst into tears.

"Lord, what should I do? Why they are against me? Why do they think that it's wrong for me to get married to a man who has kids?"

She decided to call Jake. With tears, she described what had happened in her home after he left. Jake was hurt. They both were hurt. After a short conversation they hung up, trying to figure out what to do.

Jake was in the bathroom getting ready to go to bed when he received Elise's call. He felt helpless in this situation. He already fell in love with this beautiful girl. He already discovered some precious sides of her personality as a future wife and mother for his kids. How could he lose her now? He was devastated.

Jake fell down on his knees right there and started crying.

"My Lord, please, don't let Elise get away from me. Please."

Suddenly, he heard a soft voice: "Son, she is yours. I give her to you."

Jake knew that voice. He got up and took the phone. Elise was still crying in her car. She did not want to go to the house. The phone rang. Jake? She quickly took it, and hit the answer button.

"Dear Elise," started Jake." I love you with all my heart. I did not plan this way, but I want to ask you right now: would you marry me? Would you be my wife and a mother to my kids?"

Elise knew the answer. "Yes, I will marry you, Jake," Elise said with tears still in her eyes. But now her tears turned to tears of joy. "I love you too, and want to spend the rest of my life with you and your beautiful kids."

After a short conversation, Elise stayed in her car for a while. Then she got out, and entered the house. Her grandparents were still there. She simply said to them: "Jake proposed to me and I accepted." Then she left them, and went to her room.

21. The Accident

That was a very difficult time for both Elise and her mother. Victor couldn't accept his first born daughter's choice. His wife wasn't able to find any way to change his heart and mind. She wanted peace in the family, but that was impossible at that moment.  The only way to calm the spiritual storm was to pray to God with full trust. Jesus was the only way out of this situation.

Elise's visits to Jake's home became more frequent. With her father's resistance, she wasn't able to invite him to her home. Jake and his kids lived with his older sister's family. Elise always felt welcome there.

One day, little Josh overheard the conversation between his dad and aunt. Jake said that he was going to get married to Elise. Josh ran to his father, "Dad, am I going to have a mommy?"

"Yes, son, you'll have a mommy soon," replied Jake with a smile.

Josh, excited and happy, ran to the other room, yelling to his cousins: "I'm gonna have a mommy! I'm gonna have a mommy!"

When Sylvia heard the news, she came to her father and sat quietly.

"Daddy, would I be allowed to call her mommy?" she asked.

"Yes, my little princess. You may call her as you like." Jake got emotional. He could hardly keep his eyes from filling up with tears. How much had they missed already? He thought. How much have they needed a mother!

One day, after Jake took his kids to bed, he and Elise spent more time talking about life. The conversation lasted until midnight. Elise understood that he had to get up early to go to work, so she asked him to take her home.

They drove down some dark road when the phone rang. Jake pulled aside, taking the phone. The conversation was going to be little longer, so Elise decided to get out and go to the gas station that was right next to them, to buy a bottle of water.

After Elise left the car, Jake heard something hit nearby. When he turned his head, he saw Elise lying down on the road. He jumped out of the car, and ran to her. Another car stopped behind and two people got out. Jake realized that those were the people who hit Elise with their car. But the shock was so huge that he didn't pay any attention to them when he saw Elise unconscious and bleeding.

Oh, Lord, no! Please, save her! Please!

Jake grabbed her carefully, put her into his car and ran to the nearest Emergency Room, leaving those who hit her behind. He didn't care about them. He desperately tried to save Elise's life.

Christi was used to having Elise coming home late after midnight, so she went to bed earlier. Around six o'clock in the morning, she was awakened by the vibration of her cell phone that she always kept on the nightstand next to her bed. A message arrived. Elise wrote, "Mom, I had to stay at my friend's house, I'll explain everything when I come home. Love you."

It had happened before when Elise stayed overnight at some of her friends' houses, so Christi did not worry this time either. When this happened, Elise always kept her word so her mother would not worry about her.

But later on that morning, around eleven o'clock, someone called at the door. Christi opened it. One of her family’s close friends entered in a way like someone expected him. Why is he here? Usually he calls me or my husband if he needs to come for some reason.  She looked at him with a question.

"I asked Elise to help me with some paperwork," he said. "She told me to come at 11."

"But she's not here." Christi was confused. "Did she forget about it?" she wondered.

"That's OK, I'll come next time," said the visitor. After a short conversation, he left.

How had she forgotten about that? Christi decided to call her right away.

"Elise, where are you? You forgot that you were to have a visitor today?”

"Mom, I have to tell you something," Elise started. "I was hit by a car last night. I was in the hospital all night."

"Is everything OK with you?" Christi worried.

"Yes, I'm fine. I hit my head, and have some bruises all over the body. They had to put multiple stitches in my forehead. But I'll be fine, don't worry, mom." Elise tried to make her mother less worried.

"Then why you are not home?"

"Jake was with me all the time. I asked him to take me to his home. Today his son has a birthday party, so I wanted to be there. I'll be home by evening," Elise promised.

It was some relief for Christi to hear that her daughter was OK.

When Jake brought Elise home later, the right side of her face was not recognizable. It was blue and swollen. She covered her head with a hat.

"I did not want to scare my younger siblings," Elise explained. "That's why I did not want to come home immediately."

Christi was alone downstairs. Her husband had already heard what had happened, but did not bother himself to get out of his bedroom and come down. He did not want to meet Jake.

"Please forgive me for what happened," Jake said to Elise's mother. He was so sincere and worried about Elise.

"I do not blame you," replied Christi. "That was not your fault. And you did what you should, trying to help Elise after the accident."

"I was so scared to lose her," continued Jake. "I was in shock when I saw her lying down on the road. I was there with her all night. I bought her new clothes so she could change before leaving the hospital."

"Yes, he took good care of me," Elise confirmed. Her eyes were brightened with love for this caring and soft-hearted man.

22.  Engagement

The recovery after the recent accident was going well. Elise got a lot of rest beside visiting doctors and getting proper medical treatments. Luckily, she was fully covered by her personal injury protection from her auto insurance, so she did not need to worry about her medical expenses.

One evening, Jake took Elise to a nice restaurant. There was quiet music and delicious food. They tried to talk about good things that had happened to them, omitting the bad things. After dessert was served, Jake reached into his pocket, pulled out a little navy blue box, and put it in front of Elise.

"What is it?" She was actually sure what it was, but asked anyway.

"Open it," Jake said.

She opened it. There was a beautiful diamond white gold ring. Almost like my sister's engagement ring, she thought. That's beautiful.

"Elise, I love you with all my heart. I already asked you, and I'm asking you again: would you marry me?" Jake eyes were full of fondness.

"Yes, I will marry you. I love you too."

They did not want to spoil the evening, so they did not talk about anything else that would follow after that beautiful event.

Time was passing. Jake and Elise started talking more about wedding plans. Elise always dreamed of being a gorgeous bride. But her father's negative attitude overshadowed her plans. Both Elise and Jake did not have much in the way of savings for such a big event. They wanted their parents’ blessing, and they needed financial support to have their big day come true.

"We have to move on," Jake said. He was hurt by Elise's father's hostility. Victor didn't want meet either Jake or Jake's kids at his house. He also did not want to give any blessing to his daughter.

"Let's figure out what we can do on our own,” Jake continued, “Let's check what deals we could get from some of our friends.”

"I have an idea," Elise said. "My friend Ally just began her video photography career. Her father is a professional movie maker, and he is her teacher. I'll ask her if she'd be willing to do a video recording of our wedding for a lower price."

Elise was very surprised and grateful when Ally offered to do all the video recording free of charge.

Then more and more surprises followed: someone offered to prepare all the food for the lowest possible price; another deal was with photographing. One of Jake's relatives was going to buy a house for rent, and offered it to him. He would only have to pay low mortgage payments which were significantly lower than regular apartment rent. Moving into a house would be a huge blessing, having a family with children.

A traditional requirement of both Elise's and Jake's churches was to have an official engagement party; Elise's pastor offered to do it in a church building. After they agreed when they wanted to do their engagement party, Elise came and told all this to her parents. Her mother promised to help as much as she could.

Another great surprise was that Elise's grandparents, those who were present when Elise brought Jake and his children for the first time to meet her parents, completely changed their attitude toward the marriage. They opened their hearts to bless Elise and Jake, and offered their help with all the cooking for both the engagement party and the wedding reception, with no charge for the work. Elise's grandmother was an excellent baker.

Victor did not want to hear about the coming engagement party. He did not even want to go there. When the day came, Elise's mother, younger siblings, and maternal grandparents left to the church building to make the necessary preparations. It wasn't an easy task for a few women and one elderly man to set all tables and chairs for a big party. To have a small party was not an option at all. Jake was a part of a huge family. Most of his sisters and brothers were already married. All of them were expected to come.

Elise's grandfather got upset about his son-in-law's stubbornness. He took a phone and dialed him. Victor checked the call and answered half-heartedly.

"Hey, man, aren't you ashamed to stay home on such an important day in your daughter's life? Get up and come here right now!" commanded Jacob.

Victor shown up just ten minutes before Jake and his family were going to come. Earlier, Victor said that no one from his family would come to the party. It was frustrating for Elise and her mother. With not much support, it was hard to organize everything in the best way.

Christi was very surprised when her father-in-law and Victor's other siblings with their spouses entered the room. She heard a lot of negativity from that side. How did they decide to come? Lord, are You doing something? she wondered.

The tension and awkwardness was in the air during all the engagement party time. According to the church traditions, the pastor gave really good advice for Jake and Elise and also for their parents asking God to bless their soon-to-be married children.

After the engagement party, Christi insisted that Jake and his children should visit them more often. She already liked him, his honesty, and his loving and caring heart toward his kids and others. Their conversations built up her spirit, and she enjoyed his company. Christi saw that he loved God with all his heart. Does a person need to live through such bad things in life to turn into such a great person? I believed I married a good Christian with no bad past, but alas he did not become a great caring and sympathetic husband. Financial provisions could not fill her emotional needs. She felt alone inside for so many years.

"God is so good," Elise liked to say more and more often. "Everything comes into order. I wish my father's heart would turn toward Jake and his kids."

Jake's children didn't have the patience to wait until the wedding day.

"Why do you have to wait for so long?" asked Sylvia. "Can you do it sooner?"

"Why do you want it sooner?" asked Jake.

"Because I want to have a mom," she said.

Oh, how much these kids missed having a mother! They made a chain garland of paper circles counting the days until the wedding day, tearing off one link every day.

23. The First Christmas

Christmas was coming. As usual, many people decorated their houses outside and inside, to make this season special and beautiful. It is nice to celebrate such a big holiday with a family. But the commercialization of Christmas became a burden for Christi.  In her childhood, people did not have all these traditions. Children received a small pack of delicious mixed kinds of candies and one or two oranges that were imported to her country during the cold winter time. Nowadays, kids learned to make wish lists, expecting their parents to get all that they wanted for them. Instead of nice surprises, children were often disappointed just because they either did not receive what they wanted, or because someone else among their siblings got something better.

Christi warned her children not to expect tons of presents this time. She wanted to teach her kids the true meaning of Christmas. God loved us, and gave His best present - Jesus - to save us. We should love Him more than any earthly gifts.

Nevertheless, the tradition of buying gifts for others was not easy to break. Everyone wanted to get a gift for each family member and their closest friends.

This time, Jake and his kids were added to the list. And since this was his first Christmas after he was released from prison, everyone wanted to make it very special for him.

Creating surprises was a big part of Elise's personality. Together with the coming wedding day, she enjoyed shopping around for things that she'd need in her new family as well as getting gifts for Christmas. She really wanted to surprise her fiancé and his children.  To be fair between Elise's and Jake's families, they decided to make a special Christmas celebration on Christmas Eve at Elise's home and next day with Jake's relatives.

"Jake, I have an idea," Elise said with excitement. "Let's have a special celebration with our children before we go to my parents' home." Elise already called Jake's kids "our kids."  She loved them with all her heart.

"What is that?" Jake wondered.

"Together with receiving gifts, they may learn something very important in life," Elise started sharing her thoughts. She was happy that Jake accepted her idea.

On the day of Christmas Eve, Jake's sister left with her family to go somewhere, leaving her house available for his own celebration time. There was a nice decorated Christmas tree.

Jake had already proved to be a caring and loving father to his kids. Discipline was an important part of his parenting, so he often taught them good manners and obedience. "Kids, come here," he called to Josh and Sylvia. "Sit on the sofa and be patient."

They were excited and impatient. Different sizes of beautifully wrapped boxes under the tree attracted them as a magnet. What is that? they wondered.

"OK, here is the rule," Jake began instructing them.  "You both will go together and choose only one gift. You can choose either a big box or a small box, whichever you'd like. Then you will open them together. OK?"

"Yes!" The children were very excited.

"OK, one, two, three - go!"

Josh and Sylvia ran to the tree, and each grabbed a big box. Then they started tearing off the wrapping paper.  Elise did a video recording of this special moment.

When the children opened their big boxes together, their facial expression was priceless! They both looked inside of their boxes, then lifted their eyes to each other and then to their father.

"What?" Jake smiled. "Is there something wrong? You chose the biggest boxes? Aren't you happy?"

Inside of each box was a pacifier candy attached to the side of the box with a piece of sticky tape. Jake and Elise couldn't hold their laughter. "Well, if you are not very happy, let's try again," Jake offered.

This time, both kids chose the smallest boxes. When they opened them at the same time, they eyes brightened with joy!

"Thank you, daddy! Thank you!" they were so excited. Little Josh always dreamed about his own iPod. He received a new iPod! His own!

"Sylvia, you are my princess," Jake said full of love. "Let me put this gorgeous necklace on you," he offered. Elise was overwhelmed with joy. Although they had  not become a family yet, that was their first real Christmas celebration! Her dream became coming true.

On Christmas Eve, at Christi and Victor's house, they all gathered together in the cozy living room, next to the beautifully decorated tree with a whole bunch of gifts under it. As much as it was the traditional gathering for the family, Jake received a lot of surprises from his fiancée and her family. He felt so loved and accepted. Even his to-be-father-in-law Victor had a warm attitude and enjoyed the celebration.

Despite all of the small disappointments that usually come with this season, Christi was happy to bring joy into the life of this young man and his children who were going to become a part of her family soon. "This is my best Christmas," Jake said, "my first real Christmas."

24. The Wedding

So many times Christi cried because of her husband's insensitivity. She wanted to help her daughter with the coming wedding preparation but couldn't do much.  She felt so helpless. The only thing that she could do was continuing with her prayers and trusting in the Lord.

And God listened to the prayers. Victor's heart started melting. During Jake's frequent visits, Elise's father got involved in conversations and began discovering the young man's great personality. Jake did not stay angry with Elise's father. He was such a fun person. He was always filled with laughter, lifting everyone's spirit. Victor also discovered his future son-in-law's job, which was similar to his.  He already had the first son-in-law who was doing a similar business, and that pleased him so much.

Although Victor slowly turned his heart toward Jake, he still tried to hide it from others. But God was working on him. When the time came closer to the wedding day, Elise asked him if he would help them financially to cover some expenses. To her big surprise, Victor gave them all the money to cover all food expenses. And even more, he gave her a car, not a new one, but it was pretty reliable so it would run for many years and miles. Elise couldn't thank God enough for such a miracle.

More and more, Jake felt accepted by Elise's family. Everything began lining up as the wedding day got closer.

And then that big day came. Both the ceremony and reception were so beautiful and well organized. The spirit of God's blessing was in the air. Many guests couldn't keep their happy tears from flowing for this young couple. Every word was said from the heart, every song was sung with the full meaning of a blessing.

With the help of Elise's friend Ally, who also video recorded their wedding, Jake and Elise created a musical clip dedicated to his beloved mother. All the guests held their breath while watching it. For the first time, they learned so much about Jake, about his life story, and about his mother. And again, many of them wiped away tears from their eyes.

"Attention everyone!" announced the host. "Jake has something to say."

Jake took a microphone.

"I want to say a special thanks to my sisters who took care of my children while I was in prison," he started. "Angela, Alison, come here, please," Jake invited them to come closer to him, and to Elise who was standing next to him holding two beautiful bouquets. "Josh and Sylvia, come here too," he called his children.

Angela and Alison were caught off guard. They hadn’t expected such a moment.

"My dear sisters, I want to thank you with all my heart for what you did for me and my kids. Please receive these flowers from us. Josh and Sylvia also have something too."

Then Josh gave a gift package to Angela, who raised him all those years, and Sylvia gave a package to Alison, who replaced her mother as long as she could remember.  That was so touching! They couldn't hold back their tears. Thanks, Jesus, You did this for all of us!

How beautiful and blessed was the beginning of the new family! Jake and Elise couldn't be grateful enough to God what He did for them.

After a short honeymoon trip, Jake and Elise prepared a separate room for each child with beautiful bed sets and new furniture. The kids never before had their own rooms; they had to share their rooms with multiple cousins.  Elise put out all her efforts to make the house warm and cozy, ready for the new family.

When the next Sunday came, Josh and Sylvia couldn't be patient anymore. They were so happy. That was the day when they would go home to stay with their father and mother!

"Close your eyes," Elise said, taking kids out of the car when they came to their new home.  The children carefully stepped out holding both Jake's and Elise's hands. They walked a short distance, touching some bushes on their way.

"Now open your eyes."

"Welcome home, children!"

"Welcome home, Daddy and Mommy!"

Thank you for reading this book.

If this story touched your heart in some way,

would you, please, leave your review here?

Thanks again and God bless you.

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Table of Contents

Table of Contents

1.      "Dad, Where is Mom?"

2.      Jake's Childhood

3.      Rebel

4.      A Girlfriend

5.      The First Child

6.      Supernatural Experience

7.      End of Free Life

8.      The End of Darkness

9.      So Many Changes

10.        Pregnant Again

11.        Unexpected Surprise

12.        Father-son Forgiveness

13.        Angela's Struggles

14.        The Lost Hope

15.        My Father is My Hero

16.        To Choose a Spouse

17.        Is There Anyone for Me?

18.        The Meeting

19.        The Waterfront

20.        The Drama

21.        The Accident

22.        Engagement

23.        The First Christmas

24.        The Wedding

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

1.      "Dad, Where is Mom?"

2.      Jake's Childhood

3.      Rebel

4.      A Girlfriend

5.      The First Child

6.      Supernatural Experience

7.      End of Free Life

8.      The End of Darkness

9.      So Many Changes

10.        Pregnant Again

11.        Unexpected Surprise

12.        Father-son Forgiveness

13.        Angela's Struggles

14.        The Lost Hope

15.        My Father is My Hero

16.        To Choose a Spouse

17.        Is There Anyone for Me?

18.        The Meeting

19.        The Waterfront

20.        The Drama

21.        The Accident

22.        Engagement

23.        The First Christmas

24.        The Wedding