My Father Spoke Through My Dad
December 16, 2020
My divorce from Shon was finalized on June 20, 2020. Part of our mediation agreement was that I would stay in the house with our boys. I agreed to pay all the monthly bills—utilities, insurance, phones, car payments, repairs—and Shon would continue paying the mortgage until the house sold. On paper, that sounded fair. But I had no idea how unfair it actually was until much later. For 30 years, I had been a “kept” woman. Not just in lifestyle—but in the dark. Shon had always handled the finances. I wasn’t equipped to know what was “normal” or “dangerous” in financial terms. I was trying to honor my end of the deal, faithfully paying over $2,200 every month to cover our life—while trusting he was doing his part. The house had been on the market since February 2020—right before the world shut down. We had dropped the price a few times, but it was just sitting. I believed the equity would help me restart—give me a financial breath after decades of holding mine.
Then came December 16.
I walked to the mailbox like I always did, my stomach tight with anxiety. I never knew what I’d find. This time, there was a letter from FNB marked: “IMPORTANT — OPEN IMMEDIATELY.” Up until that day, I had been receiving statements from FNB, but I hadn’t opened them. Somewhere in my heart I was clinging to the old story—that Shon was taking care of his end of the agreement. But that envelope was different. I could feel it. And I couldn’t believe what I read. Shon had stopped paying the mortgage. He was three months behind, with interest and penalties piling up. We were 190 days away from foreclosure. It hit me like a punch to the gut. I couldn’t breathe. My chest felt tight with panic.
Why would he do this? Why would he risk the house? What kind of father would risk his kids’ security? I was crushed, confused, and terrified. I had been trying so hard to keep everything together, and in a single letter, it all felt like it was falling apart. Was this intentional? Was it a ploy to get me out of the house? Was this punishment?
And that’s when my phone rang. It was my dad. He said, “Babe, go get your Bible. I have a scripture for you.” Then he told me something that still brings tears to my eyes. He had prayed, “Lord, give me a verse to give to Rachel, because she needs it now.” And as he opened his Bible, it fell open to Psalm 16. The Lord whispered to him, “Call her. This is for her.” My dad asked me to read it out loud. And as I read Psalm 16, the tears began to fall again this time not from fear, but from the overwhelming, undeniable comfort of a God who sees, knows, and still speaks.
“Keep and protect me, O God, for in You I have placed my trust and found refuge. I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good besides You.” As for the saints (godly people) who are in the land, They are the majestic and noble ones in whom is all my delight. The sorrows [of those who run] after another god will be multiplied; I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood, Nor will I take their names upon my lips. The Lord is the portion of my inheritance, my cup [He is all I need];You support my lot. The [boundary] lines [of the land] have fallen for me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me. I will bless the Lord who has counseled me; Indeed, my heart (mind) instructs me in the night. I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory [my inner self] rejoices; My body too will dwell confidently in safety, For You will not abandon me to Sheol (the realm of the dead), Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.
Every single line was exactly what my soul needed. It was like balm to a fresh wound. I anchored my heart in those words that night, and I let them carry me through what felt impossible. When I finished reading, I looked at the date: December 16th. Psalm 16. And the number 16 in Scripture means, “The love of the Father”. John 3:16—For God so loved… And in that moment, I knew: My Dad had called. But it was my Father who was speaking.
I love them both with every fiber of my being. My heart is hidden in them—and it will take someone incredibly special to ever find it.