IHOP

A very important meeting is taking place this morning at IHOP.

Keith is meeting his daughter, Nicole, for the first time in almost 11 years.

It would take hours to type out the whole back-story, so I'll try to summarize.

Keith was in a relationship with a woman who became pregnant (surprise!). Their relationship was already pretty much over, but they tried to make it work for the baby. It did not.

When Nicole was born, Keith saw her as much as was allowed by her mom. Soon, things became tense.

This woman also happens to be a police officer, so let's just say she likes to be in charge and has a tough time admitting she could ever make a mistake. The 2 of them had an argument, after which things got very ugly and she made it next to impossible for Keith to see Nicole.

At some point, Keith realized that his custody of Kyle could be put in jeopardy and he had to make a choice. Unfortunately this meant not seeing Nicole.

Fast forward to when Keith and I met 9 years ago. I knew about Nicole on our first date. I have watched him struggle with the pain of his choices for the past 9 years.

There are many sad things about this story: that Nicole has not had a chance to have a father, that Keith has not known his daughter, and that both Kyle and Kaleb are being deprived of a sister. The ironic thing is that even people who don't much care for Keith are amazed at what an awesome dad he is. Truly, it is one of the things that made me fall in love with him. The proof of his ability as a parent is visible in his relationship with Kyle.

About 3 years ago, Keith reached out to this woman again and she basically made it clear that she would stop at nothing to keep him from Nicole.

About a month ago, Keith got a friend request on Facebook from this woman's brother. He said that Nicole is at the age (almost 12) where she is starting to ask questions and had expressed an interest in meeting Keith (again).

So...and let me pause to thank you if you are still reading...Keith and I visited an attorney to find out what our options are and what to expect. We left the meeting hoping that it would be possible to avoid the court system. Keith reached out to the brother for help.

A few days later, Nicole's mom called Keith. I think she is getting a lot of pressure from her family, who disagree with some of her choices, and also I think Nicole is asking more questions than she wants to answer. She is finally ready to let go of some of her control and let Nicole and Keith have a relationship.

So....this morning the 3 of them are meeting for breakfast at Nicole's favorite spot. Her mom didn't tell her about it, so I bet it will be a very emotional reunion. I know Keith was up very early!

I think what keeps going through my mind is that God is working in Keith's life. Keith has worked tirelessly to live as Jesus wants us too...in love for everyone, not just our friends. He has put aside his anger and truly forgiven. I am in awe of his ability to love and to let go. He is reaping what he has sown. He is truly deserving of a happy ending.

I am also in awe of God's plans. He blessed me with one baby that I had the joy of carrying and giving birth to. He blessed me with another son who I did not carry, but have been allowed to mother for the past 7 years of our marriage. Now, he is giving me the challenge of a 12 year-old girls in the throes of puberty. I hope that we will develop a loving relationship also.

I am on pins and needles for Keith to get home! God is good!