“He waited until both my brother and I were ready to reconnect…”
My brother and I had been estranged for 18 years, since the death of our father, and each New Year I would send a card with a gesture on it in the hope he would respond. Every year he would tear it up (as I heard on the family grapevine). I came to faith on 10th March 2007 and since then I have prayed daily to ask God to soften my brother’s heart and reach out to me. On his birthday on 3rd January 2022 (because I am approaching 70 years old and who knows how much time any of us have left to us), I tried one final time, praying for the right words, to reach out in an olive branch type of letter. I wrote it in love and with no apportion of blame on either side nor did I dredge up any past family history. I made it as easy as possible for my brother to reply if he wanted to. I received a positive response on 17th January. I am in awe of how amazing God is. He knows the plans he has for us and His timing is perfect. He waited until both my brother and I were ready to reconnect by examining our hearts. Reconciliation can only take place because of forgiveness. I thank God for being there for me throughout and continue to pray for guidance on how to move forward with this.