Not long ago, I was scrolling through my facebook newsfeed. There’s no possible way that I can keep up with all of my friends’ posts, so I tend to zoom through as many as I can for five minutes here and five minutes there. I came upon this picture:
I thought, Cute! They must be twins. I happened to read the caption, written by a lady named Kathie. It read, “I find this such an interesting blessing…. The baby girl on the right is our daughter, Lisa Whittle, and the one on the left is the child of my cousin, now Becky Wade. They are playing at a family reunion in CA years ago — and both are now popular Christian authors…. Lisa’s are Christian inspiration books and Becky’s are Christian romance novels.”
My jaw dropped. I took a closer look at the photo, and sure enough. The baby on the left is ME.
I have lots of facebook friends that I don’t personally know. Kathie’s name and photo didn’t ring a bell, so I called my mom who explained the family connection. My Papaw (my dad’s dad) was the youngest of ten siblings. One of his sisters was named Gladys.
This is a photo of my Papaw and some of his siblings, at a family reunion in 1978. My Papaw is the one in the middle of the back row. Gladys is the last one on the right in the front row.
I remember Gladys as a woman with a sweet face and a kind disposition that always put me at ease.
Gladys and her husband.
My wonderful Papaw and Mamaw.
Papaw’s son is my dad, Gary. And Gladys’s daughter is Kathie. They’re first cousins!
My dad is on the left. Kathie’s in the middle. And my dad’s younger brother is on the right.
My dad and mom had me. And Kathie and her husband had Lisa. Which I think (someone correct me if I’m wrong) makes Lisa and me second cousins. As far as I know, I haven’t seen Lisa in person since the playpen picture. But after Kathie’s facebook post, I contacted her.
We were born just ten days apart. We each have three children. She’s a friend of our own Tricia Goyer (!!). And we are BOTH writers for the Christian market. Isn’t that astonishing?!
Lisa’s also an accomplished speaker and ministry leader. For more on her books, click here. To visit her fabulous blog and web site, click here.
I’m delighted to have rediscovered a long lost cousin of mine. I love thinking of Papaw and Gladys, siblings that are both now in heaven, smiling over the fact that their granddaughters each have ministries writing for the glory of God. Papaw and Gladys were raised with faith. In turn, they handed down their faith to their kids, who passed it to their kids, who are now doing what they can to pass it to their kids.
Between you and me, I’m not always so sure that the faith I’m trying to instill in my children is sinking in. Sometimes, I’m more sure that they’re destined for a penitentiary. 🙂 Not all children of believers will become believers. But the fact that Lisa and I both came to it, due perhaps in part to grandparents and parents who gave their lives to Christ, renews my hope. Our heritage can become as much about belief as about customs, places, eye color, and traits. Amen?
Have you read Lisa’s books or heard her speak? Were your parents and grandparents believers? Did you come to faith, in part, because of their influence? Do you keep up with any of your second cousins?
Becky Wade
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That is SO fun!! I think there’s some wonderful literary greatness that runs in your blood! Lisa is GREAT! You’re great! Your grandparents much be so proud!!
Tricia, Lisa told me that she was reading your blog recently and saw my book listed there as an upcoming read. It turns out that we know several of the same people. Amazing!!
Wow, Becky. Such a near story. And I have a connection of sorts. My church brought in Lisa to speak at our women’s retreat in the mountains of Idaho a couple of years ago (I think two, but I lose track of time). Unfortunately, I couldn’t attend, but still. Small world.
Robin, I was thinking that someone here at IBL was likely to have read Lisa’s books or heard her speak. That’s awesome!
Great story, Becky! I also believe that the prayers of our godly grandparents and parents, for us and for our children, have a powerful influence in our lives, one that we may never even know about.
Amen, Lynn! I know my grandparents prayed for me persistently. I can remember my grandmother, in particular, telling me over and over that I was in her prayers.
As a avid genealogist, I love to read stories such as this where family members are reunited. I
I’d love to know more about my genealogy than I do, Loraine. I find it fascinating!
Great story! After having to be introduced to a first cousin at a funeral, we decided we needed to try a family reunion. Most of us live within 250 miles of Branson so we meet there on a Friday-Sunday every other year. In 1998 we had about 20 people and in 2014 we had 50. Once a family tries the reunion, they usually keep coming back. We stay at a hotel with a meeting room so we can have group activities including our own church service on Sunday morning. We are there long enough to get to know each other. We look forward to seeing our extended family!
Good for you for helping organize your family’s reunions, Joan! I can remember a few reunions when I was a child, but that’s it. I wonder if the practice has dwindled for other families over the last few decades the way its dwindled for mine. I do a fairly good job of keeping up with my aunts and uncles and first cousins. But beyond that, I only have one second cousin I see regularly. I’d love to know and keep in touch with a wider group of extended family.
Becky,
I keep up with all my cousins, whether they are 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and so on. We all have the same family history and it’s neat when we can get together.
That’s wonderful, Janet! I’m inspired. 🙂
What an awesome story! I had something similar happen. My little nephew was taken by his mom after a divorce from my brother and we never knew where he was. When I became a Christian in my teens I began to pray for him and through the years. Some 35 years later I find him and he is a Christian, too! He has a lovely family and we are both totally blessed. We did not have the wonderful Godly foundation that you had. A big miracle for us.
Haha I thought about your being “Penned” up together in that play pen!! The blessed pen of the writer!
What a lovely story! Another example of how God can work out His will, and of the power of prayer. I’m so glad that you reconnected wit your nephew.
This is too cool! GOD loves to surprise us–just because HE LOVES us! Thanks for sharing this story w/ us! (AND this is one of the good features of Facebook!
God does love surprises! So true.
such a great post, and I love the pictures. My husband and I have talked a lot about our faith. We both grew up in the gospel but have seen many of our family take different paths. I think while I grew up a beliver I definitely had a point in life that I could no longer lean on my parents faith and had to find my own. I know my kids will hit that point too and I just pray that I have showed them the joy and peace that faith gives our lives that they chose that path too.
Beautifully said, Becky! I hope the same for my kids, that they’ll find their own faith when the time comes.
It’s wonderful to find a long lost cousin. Both of you have a lot in common. Hope you get close again. Facebook is good for bringing people together.
My mother and siblings were all believers. It took me a while to realize the road I was traveling on was the wrong road. I found the right road when I entered that narrow gate.
I keep up with cousins in England whom I’ve never met. 1 is a 1st cousin. Since childhood I’ve written to her. There were years we didn’t keep in touch at all. After mom died I went through her address book and found my first cousin. We begin writing to each other at Christmas. When I learned how to use a computer after I retired, thanks to the local library , I got her email address and we begin to email each other once a month. Then we both joined Facebook and thanks to that I’ve got to know her daughter and hear from them both 2 or 3 times a week.
I also have another relative and his lovely wife living in England and they are second cousins. I email them once a month. Then I have a second cousin in Canada that I grew up with and we email often.
Loved to hear how you found your long lost second cousin on Facebook.
Blessings
Shirley
Facebook is a WONDERFUL vehicle for keeping up with old friends and far-flung relatives! It’s so helpful to have everyone in one place online. I love seeing photos and hearing updates about people I’d otherwise only communicate with through Christmas cards.
Becky, this is such a great story! And so neat that you have that photo that brought it all about. I have a lot of cousins and second cousins I’m close to and Facebook has been wonderful for getting back in touch with some I’d lost touch with. My husband and I have said often recently that cousins, aunts, and uncles are one of the really good things about funerals…and I know it would make our late grandparents and other relatives happy to know that those bonds and memories are such a comfort when we’ve lost one of our dear family members.
When my mom was dragging her feet about joining facebook, I kept trying to tell her, “But you’ll love keeping up with people!” Sure enough. That’s exactly what happened once she joined. 🙂
Wow! Love the story! Especially on a day when I’m trying not to be convinced that my own 15-year-old is “headed for the penitentary.”
But that can’t really be Lisa Whittle on the right, can it? The heels aren’t high enough!
: – )
Ha! Glad I’m not the only mom of a teen who feel that way.
What a delightful story! One of my first cousins is such a blessing in my life, I cannot imagine life without her in it. We did not grow up living near each other, but in our childhood we would go into great letter writing spurts. At random times we would find ourselves living near each other; but being busy with our own families, didn’t spend time together. What a loss I realize now! She now lives in Idaho and I’m still in California. We travel to Texas to meet and visit our mutual aunt. How we look forward to those trips! We will meet at the airport when we arrive and immediately our conversation is like we were never apart.
We are always reminded of the Patty Duke Show theme song from the 60’s –
Still, they’re cousins,
Identical cousins and you’ll find,
They laugh alike, they walk alike,
At times they even talk alike —
You can lose your mind,
When cousins are two of a kind.
Loved the song! It’s heartwarming to hear about the relationship that you and your cousin share, Sharon. What a blessing!
What a great story. I recently reconnected with a 2nd cousin on FB. It is always good to connect with family.
I agree!
Becky, that is so cool. I’m glad you gals could reconnect!
Blessings,
Andrea
Thanks, Andrea!
I’m a day behind in seeing this, but still wanted to say this is WONDERFUL, Becky! Made me smile!
I’m so thankful and blessed that my parents and grandparents were believers. What my Mama and Daddy instilled in me
years ago lives in me today, and I’ve tried to instill my faith in my kiddos too. 🙂
Reconnecting is one of the BEST things about facebook, in my humble opinion. I actually re-connected with a first cousin of
mine on facebook – – our Daddies were brothers and my cousin is a good bit older than me, but we hadn’t seen each other since I was a kid! We were thrilled to be in touch again!!
I am blessed to have had a paternal grandfather and a maternal grandmother who were very strong Christians. I credit my being open to the Gospel when I heard it to the influence of these two wonderful people.
My parents lived a moral life before me but never really encouraged me to follow the Christian life style in the sense of being a vital follower of Jesus.