This devotion is an inspirational guest post by Linda Summerford, author of the award-winning novel, The Glider. A true story, it’s a reminder that God works all things together for good for them who love Him and are called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28).

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Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God (2 Cor. 1:3-4 NIV).

“I remember vividly the day they took you away from me. It was the third time authorities removed us from a horrible situation and sent us to separate foster homes. As a five-year-old boy, I stood there feeling helpless as they loaded us in the cars and sped away down the long dirt road, never to return. Nighttime was the scariest for me. I cried myself to sleep many nights as I repeated your names in my mind, fearful I’d forget.” 

Those were the heartbreaking words my brother David said to me the day we were reunited. It was December 1990, when four adults were together again after more than thirty years of separation because of the abuse and neglect we endured as children.

My younger sister, Wanda, and I had been fortunate to be adopted together, sharing a wonderful childhood. Unfortunately, David and Martha were never candidates for adoption because the father refused to sign termination of parental rights.

Thus, the two grew up in foster care until they aged out of the system. After our adoption, and because Wanda and I were so young, the memory of an older brother and sister faded from our minds. 

Thankfully, Martha never forgot us, searching for her younger siblings for decades. We sisters were reunited in November of 1973, but it would be years before we’d meet our brother.

On that day, David ran to us, tears steaming down his face. He’d lived with misplaced guilt, believing our separation was his fault. We tried to assure him there was nothing he could have done. After all, he, too, had only been a child.

It was Christmastime, so we decided to spend our day together at a local mall. As we walked through the shopping center, arm in arm, looking at all the beautiful decorations and smiles on people’s faces, we spied a line of children awaiting their turn to sit on Santa’s lap. 

Looking at Martha, we both giggled, the same idea popping into our heads.

“You know, we never had the chance to sit on Santa’s lap as kids. Why don’t we do that today?” I laughed as we walked closer to the children anxiously waiting to meet the jolly ol’ man. 

“Yes, let’s do it!” Martha grinned. 

There we stood…

Four adults towering over the little ones in line.

As we gathered around Santa Claus, we told him our story. This Christmas was like no other. We were celebrating our first ever… together!

St. Nick chuckled aloud, just like Santa would do, and the camera captured the moment in time, one we would never forget.

God’s Word affirms.

We go through suffering so we can minister to and encourage others who also suffer. 

Father, may we be grateful for Your interventions in our lives when we see Your hand at work assuring us that, even though we may suffer through difficult circumstances we cannot control, You promise to use us to bring comfort to others. 

Amen.

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About the Author

Linda Summerford spent many years as a paralegal before her retirement in 2020, including serving on a foster car review board and a task force at the appointment of the governor of South Carolina. She is the award-winning author of The Glider, a tribute to her parents who adopted her and her younger sister together. Linda enjoys sharing her hope-filled message with churches throughout the Southeast, seeking foster care reform because of the separation and suffering she and her siblings experienced. Linda is an alumna of Coker University in Hartsville, SC, majoring in English. She has been a mentor with Epworth Children’s Home with foster children for many years, and she worked with her husband, Richard, in Child Evangelism Fellowship for over 30 years. They have two daughters and five grandchildren and now live in the beautiful mountains of western NC. Linda is the president Word Weavers of Maggie Valley.