The Hand of God

Often we don’t understand the ways of God until we look back and see the whole picture.

For example, we didn’t understand why God sent a young girl out of “juvenile detention” to live with us and become our daughter.

It was a very difficult season of our lives, having our 10-month-old handicapped son Treg with all of his challenges. We were in the throes of building a new church and young couples were coming in and then God sends us this young girl who quickly became a big part of our lives.

Don’t think we didn’t go through the usual teen problems, because we did. She became a master at forging my name to get out of school. I called her to ask permission to write this article about her, and she said, “Mom, all that I did to you and Dad, I was just teasing.”

When Julie met the Lord at a youth conference, her Dad could hear her yelling, “Dad, Dad, I just met the Lord.” Needless to say it changed her life, and ours as well.

After graduating, Julie found out that her birth mother needed a kidney in order to live. Julie, with no hesitation, gave one of hers.

She married and had her first child. Now, this is where we began to see the hand of God. Her baby boy was not supposed to live. The baby had so many medical problems. She called while still in the hospital and told us how bad things were.

Then she said something that has stayed with me, “Mom, if you could do it for your son, I can do it for mine.” Tom and I cried and have prayed over the years. Our grandson has had twenty-six surgeries at Children’s Hospital. He is confined to a wheel chair and has many more obstacles to face.

I look back and see how God was preparing our daughter, using our son to show her what could be done for her own son.

She has a much heavier load than most mothers. She is a great mom and we are so proud of her.

Jeannie Goetz and her husband, retired pastor Tom Goetz, raised three adopted children while carrying on their ministry.