Note from Becky: I’m so pleased to welcome fellow writer from ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers), Joi Copeland, who is my guest blogger today. Following my blog post last week about reconnecting with my brother, Joi shares a story about her uncle reconnecting with her dad. Thank you for sharing this story, Joi!

What One Little Brother Did

I don’t drink coffee with her, I’ll have tea or some type of beverage. But that isn’t the case with this Stoffels clan.

My dad decided to step away from his family some 25 years ago, not my sisters and me, but his siblings and parents. He may have had contact with them once in a blue moon, but that was mostly due to his parents’ dying or his other sister’s death. Certainly not because of anything else.

Until my Uncle Mike (Dad’s little brother) and Aunt Ronda decided otherwise. My Aunt was pretty adamant about Uncle Mike reconnecting with family. So Mike began with his nieces and bided his time with my dad. He’d tell us kids to let my father know that he loved him and was ready to see him when my dad was. No pressure.

Then the day came finally when my dad said he wanted to see his brother. I think I cried when I got that phone call. I was ecstatic and wished I could be a fly on the wall.

But it didn’t stop there. Nope. My dad spoke with my Aunt Gayle while spending time with his baby brother. Again, I think I cried.

Miracles upon miracles what the love and desire of my aunt and uncle accomplished with their persistence and patience. Nothing but God Himself could have prepared the way for this to happen.

Then, my dad was going to spend his second weekend at my uncle’s house. My other uncle, Rick, planned to have my aunt see her brother for the first time in over 25 years.

So, when I called my dad yesterday morning, my heart did a flip, listening to them laugh together….possibly at my dad’s expense, but hey, I like to pick on him.

Wiping the slate clean. Determination. Love. Those are the things that allowed this to happen.

Which leads me to Jesus. Most everything leads me to Jesus. Wiping the slate clean. That’s what He did when He died on the cross for our sins. Every day, His mercies are new. Our sins are as far as the east is from the west. Determination kept Him on the cross. He was determined to bridge the gap between us and God.

Love. That’s what lead Him to the cross. His love for humanity, for mankind, for you, and for me. Love.

Dad, Aunt Ronda, Uncle Mike, Aunt Gayle, and Uncle Rick, I’m so proud to call you all family! I love you all and am so glad you’re in my life!

Joi Copeland is married to a wonderful man, Chris, and has three amazing boys, Garrison, Gage, and Gavin. She is living the dream in beautiful Denver, Colorado. Joi loves being a wife and mom! She enjoys spending time with her sister Steffanne, and loves to sit and have a cup of coffee or tea with friends! She’s been a Christian for over twenty years. Following Jesus has been the best decision she has ever made. Joi’s books are Hope for Tomorrow, Hope for the Journey, Christmas Rayne, and Sheriff Bride Rob’s Story.