We all have a story. Here’s one of mine. This is a continuation of part 1
I received a message at work that I needed to call a young lady named Elise in Texas. My heart sunk as I listened to those words. Could it be? Could this be my long lost sister? I took an early lunch and called the number.
Me: [Cautiously] “Hello, this Elise?”
Elise: [Calmly] Yes it is.
Me: [Nervously] “This is Jason Salamun. I got a message that you had some questions about my family.”
Elise: [In tears] I can’t believe I’m talking to you. Yes, I do…
We talked and she shared with me how she accidentally found out who her mother was when she went to get a copy of her birth certificate to get her passport. With that information all she could find were public records showing the same woman had given birth to a son a year and a half later. With a little digging, she discovered me. Poor thing.
Actually, I believe God’s fingerprints were all over this. That’s the thing about destiny. Here we are- both of us the product of “accidents” or unplanned pregnancy- and on an idle Tuesday we connected and our worlds were rocked.
We talked quite a bit that week as we pieced the puzzle together to confirm this was the real deal. We also played some catch-up and shared our life stories. After hearing about her life I was glad she was adopted. I found out she loved Jesus, had two cool daughters, and worked with the NFL. We bonded instantly and I knew this was definitely my sister.
I opened up about my childhood which isn’t exactly easy for me to do. A lot of crappy things happened but God has used them for good. After hearing about it she was glad she was adopted but wished she could have been there to be my big sister. Of course, I got to share about all of the wonderful blessings in my life too.
Months later she flew to Rapid City and we met in person over Thanksgiving. It was unreal. I was so nervous and just in awe that right here with me was the sister I always wished I knew. I’ll be honest, it was a bit awkward at first. She was so nice and cool and really connected with my wife and kids but I wasn’t sure how to act. I had never met a long lost sister before. I’d never been someone’s little brother before either. I tried to be myself but I was just floored with excitement/nerves/joy. In my heart and mind I just kept saying to God, “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Today, my sister and I talk regularly but haven’t seen each other since. I don’t find myself in Texas often and she doesn’t find herself in South Dakota much either. But we will see each other again. She has met other family members including our mother. She found out why she was put up for adoption, who her father was, and discovered more about the tragic life of her mother. Elise was able to thank my mother for doing the right thing and giving her to a wonderful family. Elise has mentioned to me more than once that this whole experience actually gave her a deeper appreciation for her adopted family. It’s special to know you were chosen.
There’s much more to the story and the story doesn’t end here. It continues and is being written with the ink of time. But I hope that our little “Oprah moment” gives you hope. Perhaps you need to connect or reconnect with a loved one? Maybe you need to replace the word “accident” with the word “destiny”? I don’t know. But hear this- this was no accident. Even more- with God there are no accidents. Things happen for a reason even when we don’t understand them. Was the fact that our mother gave birth to both of us by the age of 17 ideal? Of course not. But did God use it anyway? Yep and he can do the same with your situation.
Filed under: Family, Life, My Story |