Divine Intervention Reunites Long-Lost Siblings Over Coffee
Mel Johnson
GodUpdates Contributor
August 25, 2017
I've always thought there was something divine about coffee. And after hearing the story of how these long-lost siblings reunited over coffee, I'm sure of it!
Pictured: Long-lost siblings Marilyn Meyers (left), Phil Osborn (middle) and Mary Jane Carlston (right) Credit: MLive/Madison Bennett
Phil Osborn and Marilyn Meyers share something in common. They have the same biological mother. However, they've spent most of their lives as strangers. Recently, though, these long-lost siblings reunited over coffee in what some would call a chance encounter. But Phil and Marilyn know their reunion had nothing to do with chance, and everything to do with divine intervention!
A Lifetime As Strangers
Marilyn Meyers (73) has known for 50 years she had siblings somewhere out in the world. Her adopted brother and friends tried for a time to find them. But with deaths in the family and name changes due to marriages, they'd never had any luck.
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But all of that would change after her daughter, Jeanette Watts, convinced Marilyn and her husband to move to the Oaks of Rockford senior community in Michigan.
"God brought us here for a reason," Marilyn said.
That reason was Phil Osborn.
Long-Lost Siblings Reunited Over Coffee
Phil and his wife spent the past 15 years living in Florida. But with their children still in Michigan, the couple finally decided to return to the area. They moved into the Oaks of Rockford senior community. Little did they know, their new home was located just a few houses down from Marilyn's!
The senior community hosts a coffee hour regularly at the club house. One day, Marilyn struck up a conversation with Mary Lou -- Phil's wife.
"When I heard there was an Osborn family moving in here, I kind of joked and said 'Well, maybe he's a long-lost brother,'" Marilyn recalled.
But as Marilyn started asking Mary Lou questions about their family, she realized her joke was no joke at all. Phil was indeed her long-lost brother!
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The Background
Clarice Pletcher had birthed six children by the time her husband passed away. As a single mom in Muskegon, she went to work at a factory, trying to provide for her family. It just wasn't enough, though. Clarice made the difficult decision to put her 3 youngest children -- Phil, Teddy and Mary Jane -- in foster care until they were old enough to care for themselves.
Pictured: Phil Osborn holds an old family photo, which includes his mom, Clarice Pletcher Credit: MLive/Madison Bennett
When Clarice found out she was pregnant again, she knew there was no way she could care for a baby. A local doctor put her in touch with a nurse in Detroit named Doris Riske. The woman wanted children, but couldn't have them on her own. Doris agreed to adopt Clarice's newborn baby girl, Marilyn.
While Doris was open with Marilyn about her background, Clarice kept Marilyn a secret from her children. She finally confided in Mary Jane many years later.
"She told me, and I said 'How come you took so long to tell me?' And she said 'Because I was afraid that you wouldn't love me,'" Mary Jane said.
Back Together
Ever since divine intervention brought Phil and Marilyn together, they've been so happy.
"She lifts my heart every time I see her," Phil says of half-sister Marilyn.
"(I'm) kind of in shock," Marilyn said about the tearful reunion. "I knew that I had a brother and sisters somewhere. I knew about their names and everything but I didn't exactly know where they were."
A Prayer for Those Who Are Lonely or Isolated This Christmas - Your Daily Prayer - December 23
This Christmas, remember how precious you are to the Creator. Remember that there is nothing you can do or say that would ever separate His presence and love from you. It’s okay to go through Christmas feeling alone and isolated, but make sure you turn to God to fill those feelings of loneliness.
A Prayer for Those Who Are Lonely or Isolated This Christmas - Your Daily Prayer - December 23
This Christmas, remember how precious you are to the Creator. Remember that there is nothing you can do or say that would ever separate His presence and love from you. It’s okay to go through Christmas feeling alone and isolated, but make sure you turn to God to fill those feelings of loneliness.
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