How God Brought Hope Through A Text Message

I’ve been friends with Carol Kittle and her husband, Roger, for thirty years. They are two of the godliest, most selfless and caring people I’ve ever met. I pray you’ll be encouraged by Carol’s story of hope in the midst of grief and uncertainty.

One Tuesday night in 2013 changed our lives forever.

Have you ever been through the worst time of your life and known in your heart God was getting ready to do something miraculous?

In 2012, both of my parents had died within eight months of each other, and our son was going through a divorce. Those events devastated me. My husband, Roger, and I prayed earnestly for our son as we walked through our own steps of grief.

We began to sense God leading us to step out in faith for a new direction in our lives. It seemed that direction would be west, and we’d be on or near an Indigenous reservation.

We packed our car with items to give away as needed (backpacks, school supplies, diapers, baby clothes, etc.). Not knowing where to go, Roger sent several emails to various ministry organizations on or near the route we planned to take. He told them we’d pastored the same church in Chattanooga for sixteen years and wanted to connect with anyone who does ministry with Indigenous people groups. He also offered our services to preach, teach, sing, paint, help build, or even dig a ditch—just to help.

After a month, we heard from only one ministry. That leader said we could help them fill backpacks with school supplies on an Apache Reservation in Arizona, which we did. But we didn’t sense God was about to move us there.

Our prayers for God’s guidance in this matter became desperate.

Our son was stationed in Japan, and we knew the military would soon move our daughter-in-law back to California. Ten o’clock on a Tuesday night in May 2013, I texted her, knowing she was moving this same day (it was thirteen hours ahead for her). I just wanted her to know we were thinking about and praying for her and the boys. In the text I simply said…

Me: “Sending prayers your way. I love you.”
Response: “Who is this?”
Me: “Carol.”
Response: “Is this ‘Auntie Carol’ from Farmington?”
Me: “No, Charles’s Mom. Is this Maegan?”
Response: “Sorry u have the wrong number. This is not Maegan.”

I checked my phone again to make sure it was my daughter-in-law’s name and number pulled up. The phone said “Maegan’s Cell.”

I shivered as Holy chill bumps traveled over me.

It was like I had stepped from earth into Heavenly realms and I needed to pay attention. I continued with the texts because I felt God was speaking through them.

Me: “Sorry. Maybe I was supposed to tell you that you are being prayed for.”
Response: “God does work in mysterious ways and I would greatly appreciate your prayers.”
Me: “I will be praying for you. I live in Georgia. Do you live in California?”
Response: “Thank you for the prayers. No, I live in Arizona.”
Me: “Do you mind if I ask what part of Arizona? We are praying for some people in San Carlos.”
Response: “Navajo Reservation.”

That was the last text we received from the unknown person. God had revealed everything we needed to see and hear during this brief conversation. That night my husband Googled ‘ministry to Navajo’ and the first thing that popped up was Navajo Ministries in New Mexico. The ministry had started in 1953, the year we were both born. Can you guess the ministry location?

Farmington, NM!

Before the text that evening, we had never heard of Farmington and now we were seeing and hearing about it two times within one hour. God does work in mysterious ways. He definitely had our attention.

The next morning Roger emailed the president of Navajo Ministries and, with open arms, they invited us to visit. On our first of three visits, as soon as we saw the city limits sign, we knew we were home. We weren’t sure of the timing, but we knew God was leading.

Hebrews 11:1 “FAITH is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” NKJV

Hebrews 11:8 “By FAITH, Abraham obeyed when called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance.” NKJV

On July 10, 2015, at the age of sixty-two, we began our journey to move to Farmington, NM. We left behind family, friends, good paying jobs, our house, and ideas of retirement to live at Navajo Ministries volunteering with the staff and children. Roger also pastors a small Navajo church just ten minutes from our home.

There is so much more to this story, but I will stop here. We have no regrets in our move and remain very excited to see what each day holds for us in God’s Kingdom activity in Farmington.

To God be the glory forever and ever!!

Wow, what a great God we have, right? He speaks to us in so many ways, even through a text message. I hope you were encouraged by Carol’s story. And if you missed the post I made about Navajo Ministries and Roger and Carol’s ministry there, you can read it here.

Join the conversation. Has God ever spoken to you in a miraculous way? How? Has He ever moved you from everything you’ve ever known to step out in faith on a new journey? Tell us about it.