Good Morning. Let me introduce you to ____________.

As an educator, many opportunities have arisen when I have spoken those words whenever a new student stood beside me at the front of the classroom, meeting classmates for the first time.

In those seconds, I knew so little to share about the new student.
This is __________. She attended _______ school before moving here. She also had this class at her previous school, and that’s why she’s placed here with us now. No intimate details. Nothing but a first and last name, an exterior appearance, and a former school name. That’s all I knew.

The day I met my daughter Sydney for the first time was not when I held her in my arms. No, we had been intimate, sharing a body (together) for several months. In fact, I had dreamed of knowing Sydney for eight years BEFORE I first met her, and when I first realized that she was alive inside me, I cried. I knew our lives together would be beautiful, despite whatever occurred while we lived together.  BEFORE I even knew Sydney was inside me, God had heard my longing, my prayers, my requests for a daughter just like her.

God and I had talked; God knew my heart; and God knew my vow, my promise to Him.

For nine months, I had touched Sydney through my skin as I placed my hands upon my stomach. I sung to her as I rocked. I carried her with me wherever I went. In fact, we had already walked many miles together. By the time I touched her face to my face nine months later, we had already developed a shared intimacy. For months, I had known her and felt her struggles, her growth, in such a confined area as she grew inside me to her birth weight. She kicked quite well, even back then, even though she was so small. The doctor had given a glimpse of her beauty when he showed me a grainy image of her through an ultrasound image.

Sydney entered this world, protesting loudly (at the cold, I suppose) promptly at 9:45 on the morning of January 30, 1999. Even though that was the first day I actually touched her skin with my fingers, still I already knew her—-intimately BEFORE that day.  For eight years and nine months, our heartbeats seemed to beat in rhythm (from the very beginning, from the moment I spoke with God about her existence).

The day I met my Marieke was not quite the same. For me (ashamedly) she was (sort of) unwanted at first. Yes, unfortunately, I am speaking the truth. Truly, I did not want her living in our home (when we first met). We actually met for the first time in the hallway. The guidance counselor knocked on my classroom door and asked me to step into the hallway, and as I stepped outside my classroom, Marieke’s eyes met mine. That’s it. That was our only body part that touched in those first moments. The calendar said—October 2015. Yes, it was pre-Covid, so I stretched forward my hand, and Marieke placed her hand in mine as we shook, but that’s it. Our eyes and our hands—nothing more. No shared intimacy.

Truly, I did not know Marieke as I did Sydney. In fact, I only knew her first name and surname in that instant, and I knew that she was a new student moving to our school.
If I am being totally truthful, her name was quite similar to me, so much so that I called her by the WRONG name many times during those first few days. Yes, I often confused her name in my brain with another student’s name, a student already in my class.  (Yes, Marieke still laughs at me about that fact.)

On the day I first met Marieke, we were a week away from the semester change, and the guidance counselor wanted to place Marieke in my classroom as a (sort of) “holding place” until all students gained new semester schedules.  So, on that particular day, in that lunchtime class, I taught my daughter Sydney, and Sydney sat in the middle row of the classroom, third seat back, and there was an empty chair in front of Sydney.

SO………….Yes,…………you guessed correctly.  That day, I asked Marieke to take her seat in front of Sydney, and when lunchtime arrived, I asked Sydney to lead Marieke through the lunch line, to share a table with Marieke, and to introduce her to some other students. If you’re familiar with a high school cafeteria, then you also realize how scary this place can be for a new student who knows no one.  Truly, on that day (and for the next two weeks), I knew so little about Marieke.  I learned a little about her by watching her interact with peers, by seeing her in the halls, and by listening to her daily question——–“Ms. New, would you let me move into your house?”
Clearly, my answer was a simple and quick, “No.”  Every day, without fail, she asked. As days transpired, I even attempted to find her a home with another family, but God had other plans.

God was waiting for me to ask Him what He wanted me to do.

The day was a normal school day, and without fail, Marieke asked me if she could move into my house, but on that day, I responded differently because (truthfully), I thought I knew what was best, what God would have me do, but God knows my heart so well. I knew me,……….BUT GOD KNEW ME BETTER, MORE INTIMATELY.

God knew me better, and He knows you intimately.

God knew my future, and He knows your future.

God knew my present, and He knows your present.

God knew my past, and He knows your past.

God knew how I should move in response to Marieke’s question.

God knew me……Nancy, and without a doubt, God knows you too.

God and I had shared time together (since 1966), when He placed me inside my mother’s  womb. God knew me then, and when (at age 15), I accepted God as my Savior, that’s when my REAL LIFE BEGAN.

In 2015, when Marieke asked me her question, God already knew my answer; I only needed to listen to His direction.

That day, I replied, “Marieke, you have asked me the same question for two weeks, and my answer remains the same, but you have been persistent with your question. So, I tell you what. I will pray, and talk to God about your persistent question, and IF God tells me that my answer should be YES, well then, you’ll be the first to know.”

That was six years ago.  My prayer meeting with God (the next morning) was the day God introduced me to Marieke. God clearly told me what I should say to Marieke’s question.  Yet, I am stubborn, and so, I defiantly told God when I prayed that I needed a sign (a revelation) that what He said to me was the truth. Imagine that!!!! I told God what I needed, and God revealed Himself to me in showing me what I really needed to see…….My Obedience.

Marieke moved into my home that next weekend, and since that day, Marieke has surely moved into my heart.

God clearly revealed an answer to her question, but I first needed to listen to God. When I had the audacity to questioned God’s truth spoken to me for my life, God taught me so much about His identity, and He revealed His great love that day, and still does………AGAIN & AGAIN & AGAIN.

God loves us SO MUCH!!!

As I said, God answered my prayer request (my declaration for a sign) that same day when I prayed. That afternoon, as I stood outside my classroom door, 100% knowing in my heart what I should do, what I should say to her question, but defiantly waiting for God to SHOW ME, God answered my request for a sign. Marieke turned the corner by the library, her eyes met mine, and I KNEW.

Now some will claim that God does not audibly speak, and maybe God only spoke audibly during the Old Testament days, and maybe it just seemed as if I heard Him speak out loud, but that day, standing in the hallway near my classroom door, seeing Marieke’s eyes locked with mine, God clearly said to my ears, “Nancy, there’s your sign.” I knew my answer to her question.
Marieke and I shared our first hug on that day when I asked her, “Do you still want to move in my house?”

Intimacy comes in so many ways. My intimacy with Sydney and with Marieke is shared Individually, Intimately with each of them, & Separately, & Uniquely, & Beautifully.

God Gives & God Provides & God Spokes. Are we Listening? Are we Obeying?

Both girls are an answer to my prayers—-YES, Both girls—–Sixteen years apart, God spoke to my heart both times, and sixteen years apart, God gave me beautiful girls to love.

It is a truth, God knows us intimately. The Bible gives us that truth in Psalm 139:15-16.
“My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.”

Truly, God knows us intimately.

God knew us each BEFORE we even existed.

God made us, even BEFORE God skillfully wrought us inside our mother’s womb.

God knew our frame, even BEFORE our frame existed.

God’s eyes saw us even BEFORE our body was a body.

God saw us then. God sees us now.

God saw our beginning, & God sees all our days we will EVER LIVE.

With 100% truth, God’s Word tells us that HE saw our full measure of days even BEFORE there was the first day given to us to live.

The Bible speaks to us with such clarity.  God knew I needed a daughter, so He blessed my life with Sydney. Then God knew I needed Marieke, and He blessed my life with her presence.

God knew—BEFORE I KNEW—-and my intimacy with both girls continues to grow into a new shared intimacy as time passes by.

Yes, truly, God knows us each intimately. It’s a shared intimacy that arrives, but only ONCE WE ACCEPT HIM, TRUST HIM, BELIEVE IN HIM, & ONCE WE CONFESS OUR SINS TO HIM.

Good morning. Let me introduce you to someone I have met many years ago, someone who I met when I was 15? I am now 54, so that’s several years I have walked with God (but you can do the math if you want). I first met JESUS when my mother carried me inside her womb. Mom taught me about HIM, even then. She sung melodies about HIS amazing love, about HIS mercy, and about HIS free gift of saving grace. Thank you, mom, for introducing me to Jesus, even way back then, when you carried me in your womb. As Jesus walks daily with us, we can know Him more and more intimately. As we dive deeper into studying HIS Word (the Bible), we can learn so much about Jesus’ identity, and we can learn more and more and more about HIS AMAZING LOVE.

So, I so want to introduce you to My friend, Jesus, & I want to introduce you to My Savior & LORD. Thank You Jesus for Your amazing love. Thank You Jesus for loving each of us & Thank You Jesus for Your intimacy shared with each one of us, freely given to us when we accept your amazing gift of salvation. Thank You, God. Yes, Thank You Most of All For You.