When I was twelve my biological father literally shattered my heart. If you have ever had your heart broken then you know how tragic it can be. At one point I felt like I could hear my heart actually breaking into a million pieces.

This isn’t me be being dramatic. This is as real as it gets.

I can’t speak from experience of having a boyfriend break your heart, but I can speak from having a man that you love break your heart. It completely wrecks you. In my scenario, it makes you question all father figures. I will say that I had remarkable men step up in my life, but none of them could help restore my faith in dads. I found myself in a desperate place. I was longing for a dad that was no longer there.

I remember, after I realized that my current family was not going to be restored, the moment I began to pray for a blessing. I would cry out in frustration to God (not at God). I honestly did not even know what to pray for. All I knew is everything hurt and I felt like everything I had ever known to be true was ripped right out of me. I was a daddy’s girl. I thought my biological father had hung the moon.

I don’t blame my biological father for everything that happened, because I know I have an enemy that is looking to kill, steal, and destroy. It doesn’t matter who I choose to blame, the pain was still real. I was in a dark place and I was searching for something to bring clarity. I began praying for peace and for restoration. I did not know what that would look like in my life, but I was ready to release all control over to God and let Him be the author and perfecter of my faith.

It was then that God sent my stepdad.

The best thing about my stepdad is he is an answer to fervent prayers. When I was asking for peace, restoration, and healing, God sent my stepdad. How cool is that! My stepdad is a tangible answered prayer. God knew exactly what I needed and He delivered in His perfect timing. My stepdad restored my faith in dads. He has slowly and probably unknowingly healed my broken heart. He is a part of my testimony. He is the reason that I can trust men again. He is the peace factor. He is all the things that I prayed for and more.

My stepdad does not get enough credit. He had to enter a home that had been abused and mistreated. A home that was full of “man-haters.” God could not have designed a more caring, sincere, lovable man to send into our home. I have never experienced something fit so perfectly together until God sent me my stepdad. You would never guess that my family has only been a family for five years. When you invite God into the middle of your mess, you will be in utter amazement on how perfectly He will write your story. Today I am thankful for answered prayers, which just so happens to be my stepdad.