The Amish Nanny's Sweetheart. Jan Drexler

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      This story is close to my heart. I loosely based the hero, Guy, on a real person—my grandfather. I never met the real Guy, who passed away several years before I was born, but his story is one I had to share.

      Born in 1902, Guy’s life changed dramatically when he was five years old. His mother gave birth to a daughter and died of complications soon after the delivery. Faced with raising three very young children on his own, their father placed Guy and his younger brother in an orphan asylum and put his newborn daughter up for adoption.

      It was a hard life for a young boy. When he was old enough to do farm work, he was hired out to farmers in the area as an indentured worker. Abuse of various forms were part of his life, while the father who had left his sons in the orphanage traveled from job to job, never able to provide a home for them but never signing away his parental rights. From 1908 to 1926, Guy lived and worked in thirty-two different homes.

      But, as in every story of redemption, God stepped in. Early in his young adulthood, Guy dedicated his life to serving the Lord. He met my grandmother, and they married and had five children, including two sons who became ministers.

      The year after Guy’s death, Grandma wrote, “He wanted love and respect, but most of all he wanted a home and security, something he hadn’t had since his mother died.”

      Everything else that happened in this story, including Guy’s father being a criminal, is fiction. But the heart of the story, Guy’s longing for a home, a place where he belonged, is true.

      I’d love to hear your thoughts! Connect with me on Facebook or Goodreads, or on my website, www.JanDrexler.com.

      Blessings,

      Jan Drexler