Praying for coats, miracles

BY CARLA HINTON Comments 0
Published: October 31, 2009

Diane McDaniel has always believed in the power of prayer, so when she prayed for winter coats for some special girls, she expected results.

More Info

Online

Read the Religion and Values blog.

blog.newsok.com/religionandvalues

She didn’t know how the Lord would do it, but she believed in miracles.

The miracle showed up in the form of a group of women from Henderson Hills Baptist Church in Edmond.

McDaniel is a state Department of Human Services social worker and supervisor of the Deborah Rothe group home. She said young girls have been placed at the home through court orders due to neglect by a parent or caregiver.

Women from two Henderson Hills small groups took the girls to Burlington Coat Factory and bought each of them a new coat. They also took them to another store and let the girls choose items such as scented bath wash, hair accessories, shampoo and colorful hoodie sweaters.

For McDaniel, it was a miracle.

"Yes, I’m a social worker, and I’m supposed to keep church and state separate, but the state can’t get me for making my inward request to my heavenly Father,” she said. "These kids are here, and they saw faith in action.”

Beth Millard, one of the women in the Henderson Hills group, spoke modestly about the shopping trip. "We want to be sure that the Lord gets the glory for this,” she said.

Both women agreed that the bigger miracle may have been the divine connections that resulted.

Millard said her church is actively seeking ways to serve children in foster care.

"We were hoping to meet a need but also to establish a relationship with these girls, and that’s exactly what happened,” she said. "We’re just thrilled to be used by the Lord to serve these ladies.”

McDaniel, a member of St. John Missionary Baptist Church, said she’s as proud of the girls at the home as she is her own children. When she sees them bundle up in their new coats, she looks to heaven and knows that her help, her miracle, did indeed come.

"When I asked God for a miracle, I didn’t know when or how it was going to arrive — and it arrived,” she said.

"We have just been immensely blessed.”