With her sister’s blanket in one hand and a flashlight in the other, Anna made her way to her family’s little shed behind their house. Kneeling down on the hard, rough shed floor, Anna began to pray. “Okay, big guy up in the sky, here I am again; it’s me asking for help. I brought my sister’s blanket so you can remember her, because this is her favorite blanket. Please keep my sister safe as you return her home. Mama and Pop are worried sick about her. I don’t know if you can do this, but God, can you just make the person who has my sister so uncomfortable with my sister being around them, and don’t let them get any rest until they give me my sister back. Thanks for listening, and oh yeah, I need some new thread, ’cause I’m working on a new quilt for my sister, because her old one is all torn up. Thanks, big guy.”

Several weeks ago, Anna’s 12 year old sister Kelly went missing in a little town in the Ozark Mountains. The town was shaken again by the horror of another child gone missing. The sad part about her sister’s disappearance was that everyone in the town knew who was involved in the taking of her sister. No one dares to talk about the town’s 30 year old secret that held many captive to their worst fears, their children being taken. But Anna heard a preacher on TV say one night that “God hears the silent prayers, the whispers, and cries of the broken heart, and all of those who are lost.”

Knowing absolutely nothing about prayer, nor how to begin to ask God to help her sister, 7 year old Anna did just what the preacher on TV said. She prayed for her sister’s safe return night after night, stumbling and stuttering trying to find the words to pray for her sister.

Nine months passed and still no sign of Anna’s sister. But Anna continued to pray for her sister’s return night after night. One night while praying Anna asked God a question. “Are you there, God, are you listening? Well, the preacher on TV says you’re real, so I believe you’re real. Can you just give me some kind of sign to let me know you’re listening to me? Thanks, God. Anna.”

After finishing her nightly prayer, while Anna was walking back to the house, she heard a noise. She noticed a little blue jay perched on the porch railing. She thought to herself why a blue jay would be out this late at night. Then she remembered that she had asked God for a sign in prayer tonight. Anna smiled as she quietly walked past the bird, into the house. “Thanks, God,” Anna said out loud. She knew then that her prayers had been heard by God and that her sister would return home.

Three weeks later, a miracle happened. A strange car pulled up to Anna’s house. The passenger’s side car door swung open, and out came Anna’s sister. The strange man in the car pulled off and drove away, never to be seen again.  The family rejoiced as they hugged and kissed Kelly. It was truly a miracle.

Anna ran into her room, and grabbed her sister’s old blanket, and wrapped it around Kelly. Anna whispered in her sister’s ear and said, “I prayed for you, and took your old blanket with me when I prayed. You can have it back, and when you pray to the big guy in the sky, He will remember you, because He knows this is your favorite blanket. You should try talking to the big guy. He’s alright and really cool to talk to. I also made you a new one, because I know you get cold at night, and yours has a lot of holes in it. Here, this one will keep you warm.”

Months later, when Kelly was asked why the man who took her brought her back, she simply said that “He started feeling real uncomfortable with me being around, and that he could not sleep.” To many people, Kelly’s answer made no sense at all, but to little Anna, it made perfect sense. She knew that God was at work, and He had answered her heartfelt, simple little prayers. God didn’t forget about Anna and her prayer request as she lay before God with her sister’s blanket.

For more information about Kelly’s Blanket, visit our site at https://www.etsy.com/shop/FromMamasGarden

Facts: Globally, the International Labor Organization estimates that there are 4.5 million people trapped in forced sexual exploitation globally. Each year, thousands of children are kidnapped, put in sex trafficking rings, and exploited. Getting closer to home, Atlanta has been named one of the top sex trafficking destinations in the United States. 5,000 girls are at-risk of being sex trafficked in Georgia. Approximately 374 girls are commercially sexually exploited monthly in Georgia. Polaris Project. (2010). “Human Trafficking Statistics.” http://www.polarisproject.org/resources/resources-by-topic/human-trafficking

Safe Harbor office: 404-692-3245

National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888