Letters to My Father
by
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Sandbridge Beach, Sandbridge, Virginia
May 25, 2015
My name is Wiletta Jayne. I’m a forty-three-year-old, peace-and-tranquility beach-lover, trapped inside a city girl. I’ve always taken pride in having a strong relationship with God, my heavenly Father. It was the one constant in my life. We talked daily, and I felt safe in his arms and surrounded by his love.
Lately, my chaotic lifestyle has monopolized my life, to the point that I no longer have time to nurture that relationship. Now, I feel lonely and lost. My drive and passion have dimmed, but mostly I miss his presence in my life.
I longed to hear his voice again, so I took some time off work, with the intent of devoting more time to him. I told him how much I missed him and that I hoped he would meet me at the beach in a few days. I loaded my car, put the top down, and started out on my journey to the beach. I knew the feel of the sun on my face, sand in my toes, and the privacy and quietness of the beach was just what I needed.
I was singing along with my favorite songs, about halfway to the beach, when I felt a sudden urge to take the exit I saw up ahead of me. As I neared the exit, the urge grew stronger. I knew something important must be there, so I turned onto the exit. As I sat at the stop sign at the end of the exit road, I wondered which way to go. Then I saw it—a small garage-sale sign. I smiled, recalling memories of my best friend, Faith, and me, driving around, looking for these signs.
I drove a mile or so until I found the sale. As I approached it, trying to decide where to begin, a small table in the back caught my eye—and I knew with absolute certainty that the stack of letters on the corner of the table was meant for me.
No one there seemed to know where they’d come from, but I was drawn to them. I purchased the letters and a small basket to carry them and started back on the road to the beach. Throughout the remainder of the drive, I kept glancing at the letters, wondering what purpose they had on my journey. I made it to the beach house, unpacked the car, ate some dinner, and fell into a deep, restful sleep.
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About the Book
Forty-three-year-old Wiletta Jayne is a God-loving woman in the midst of a spiritual drought. Her strong relationship with God has been disrupted by her chaotic lifestyle, and she feels lonely and lost. She decides to take some time off from work and visit the beach, where she hopes to reconnect with God’s voice.
On the way, Wiletta feels a strong pull to visit a garage sale, where she finds a small stack of letters for sale. Knowing they are meant for her, she buys them and begins reading through them while on her vacation. In the letters, Wiletta discovers personal stories of despair, loneliness, joy, and more. God then instructs her to find the authors of the letters, so she reaches out to her best friend, Faith, who is a private investigator. Together, Wiletta and Faith set out to find these people, help them to know God’s love, and heal their hearts so they can seek him again.
This novel tells the story of a woman led by God to a collection of letters written by strangers and the journey she takes with a friend to find and help the letters’ authors.
About the Author
Crissie Ann Leonard is an accounting associate at a nonprofit firm who has loved literature since she could read. Building on that love and on her personal experiences, she has spent the last decade writing novels based on life, faith, growth, and healing. Her great loves are God; her cat, Smokey; her family; and Chewbacca from Star Wars. She lives in Ohio with her family.