God's Sense of Humor

I have a very special nephew.  His name is Devin.  He was born just a few days before I began my Senior year at high school.

His mother was also a senior.  She felt that she couldn't handle doing school & taking care of a newborn, so he lived in our home.  His crib was in my brother's room which was right beside mine.  When the baby woke up crying because he was hungry or needed a diaper change, guess who got to him first?  ME!  I adored that baby!  It was like he was mine.  In fact, that's how I love him...as if he were my very own.

Eventually his parents got married.  Still, he spent more time with me & my Mom than them because my brother was working 2 jobs and his mom was always out doing...whatever.  Mom kept him while I was at college in the morning, then I'd take him with me to work in the afternoon. 

When Devin turned 3 my brother joined the Army.  He ended up stationed all the way across the country.  Can you believe they had the nerve to take their child with them?  I was devastated!!!  I did save up (which was hard since I was paying for college) & flew out to visit him.  He begged me to let him come home with me.  It just killed me to get on that plane without him!  I used to selfishly pray that God would convince his parents to give him to me.

When my brother's service time was up they came home.  Then, this beautiful little boy was put through a lot of awful things.  His mom ran off with some other guy.  He was bounced back & forth between his parents.  He's had multiple step-fathers & step-mothers who were all nasty toward him.  I kept secretly praying that God would convince his parents to just let me have him.

In spite of it all he has grown into an amazing young man.  He just graduated high school.  He's 18.  The day after he graduated, guess what he did????

He moved in with me.

Now, he's no angel.  Unfortunately he had a few teachers at his Christian school who had a very negative influence on him.  He trusted them.  They were young and cool.  He figured that since they were Christian whatever they said must be right.  They ignited rebellion in him slowly over the past two years.  Growing up in such a tumultuous lifestyle as he did, the sparks of rebellion turned quickly into flames!  He's not terrible or anything – just misguided, sadly to say, by these Christians.

I should take a minute to give my brother a word of praise.  He has turned his life around and has tried desperately to rebuild that relationship with Devin.  They have become close again and my brother is giving him some excellent Christian advice.  He's trying to help him not make the same mistakes he made.

All that being said, we sat down with him & gave him a set of rules for living in our home.  We explained each rule to him & the reason behind it.

He's been here for a month and so far has not broken one rule.  He gets up and goes to work each day.  He's home by curfew.  He respects our rules about his behavior with his girlfriend in our home.

Please pray for Devin.  The decisions he will be making over the next few weeks & months will affect him for the rest of his life.  Also pray for DH & I that we will have wisdom in working with him.  We are not thrilled with the girl he is dating.  I'm still trying to figure her out.  I'm not sure she is Christian.  I haven't been able to spend much time with her as of yet, but I intend to sit down & have a long talk with her.

When he knocked on my door with a duffel bag over his shoulder the day after he graduated and said, "Aunt Stacey, do you remember when I was 5 & I asked you if I could come live with you and you told me I could if my parents would let me?  Is now good for you?" – you could have knocked me over with a feather!

The first thing God brought to my mind was this...."You asked me for him...now you've got him!"

Who says God doesn't have a sense of humor!!!

Oh Stacey!

5:20 AM, Jul. 5, 2008 .. Posted by deedeeuk

I have to admit it.......I did have to laugh!! LOL! You certainly DID ask, beg, plead and holler for this one - just did all that a loooong time ago! Well, I guess God does answer prayer, just not on our time schedule! :o)

I will be praying for dear Devin! I'm glad things are going smoothly as far as rules and such. He was such a sweet boy when I knew him, I'm sure he still is. I'll be praying for you too my dear friend as suddenly becoming a parent to a teenager overnight isn't an easy thing I'm sure.

However, I KNOW you can do this and be a huge help to him. You love him like your own and always have. He truely was your first baby! (A bit like Mr. Chipper was mine. However, at least your first baby is only 18 since mine is 24 and a Dad!!) Hang in there, just having someone who believes in him the way you do will help him alot.

You certainly have your hands full! Speaking of hands, how are yours doing now? (((HUGS)))

Edited by deedeeuk on Jul. 5, 2008 at 4:22 AM

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1:29 PM, Jul. 5, 2008 .. Posted by denisebp

What an amazing story! I'm glad that things are going well, and I'll pray for Devin. My heart just aches when I hear about children with childhoods like his...

Denise

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2:01 AM, Jul. 8, 2008 .. Posted by bethanyrae

Now this is just too cool. I've a feeling the Lord's fingerprints are all over this one. Yup...you're going to need a special helping/dispensation of grace, wisdom, understanding, mercy, patience, love, etc. Please keep us posted on how to pray...
bethanyrae

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