Our long-time Godwinker friend Jeani Stevens first tipped me off several years ago to the story of 8 year old SHELBY, the daughter of a colleague, who had PRAYED for a BIRD.

Not just any bird… she’d researched it … and gave her parents a power-point presentation on why an Australian COCKATIEL would be perfect, including that it had a small beak and wouldn't hurt if bitten.

Still, her parents Tom and Sheri cautioned that with two dogs, a bird would be a large responsibility. Perhaps when she was 10.

What no one anticipated was the POWER of a little girl’s CONSISTENT PRAYERS. Shelby prayed daily for a bird, sometimes during prayer time at her school, and always during table grace.

One day God divinely aligned all the pieces of the puzzle. A neighbor told Tom that a bird had flown into their yard… and when he whistled, it came and sat on his shoulder. Would one of Tom’s daughters be interested? It's a COCKATIEL.

Yes, Tom gulped … I have a daughter who’d be very interested…noting that Shelby would soon be grieving the loss of her favorite dog… and realizing that when a sweet daughter teams up with God, it’s an irresistible force!

We wrote Shelby’s story in our book “40 Day Prayer Challenge”… which like all of our books… is filled with astonishing Godwink stories and charming characters like Shelby who selected the name KIWI for her bird, because of the Australian fruit.

Last weekend Godwinker Jeani reported that she had been thinking about her friends Tom and Sheri, several years after she’d moved away and Tom’s work email had changed. She dropped them a note to an address she found on the internet, not anticipating success.

But...Tom replied right away…her note had auspiciously arrived the DAY BEFORE Shelby was coming home from Los Angeles to attend the ceremony for their pet KIWI who had PASSED AWAY just a few days before… after 14 years with them.

Tom sent Jeani a photo of the sentimental note written on the box prepared for Kiwi’s funeral. It's posted here along with Shelby at about 8 and later as a teen, and a look-a-like of KIWI.

Sometimes it's breathtaking how God can answer our prayers.

Here was a little girl whose desires of the heart nudged her to pray for a bird nonstop. And look how God amazingly delivered the very breed she wanted, into a neighbor’s yard and nudged that neighbor to reach out to Shelby's dad.

Thanks Jeani, for having the "eyes" to see Godwinks... and for kindly taking the time to tip us off.

May you all be blessed with boundless Godwinks, just like Shelby's!

SQuire