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[00:00]
A
This episode is brought to you by BonCharge. Visit BonCharge.com using promo code Miracle to show your support.
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Kelsey and her younger sister heard branches snapping somewhere in the distance.
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I stopped for a minute, and then I looked into the distance where all the noises were coming from. Out comes a huge mountain lion.
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The animal was enormous. Its muscles rolled beneath its body as it moved onto the path.
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And then I looked back at my sister and I said, don't run.
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From the mountain lion came a low, guttural growl. It moved forward on its giant paws.
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And I knew in that moment, I'm going to get eaten.
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This is the Miracle Files. I'm Emily Jones.
[00:53]
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And I'm Holly Worthington. We're two sisters who love a captivating true story, but we're also seeking more light in our lives.
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So we're on a mission to find and share unforgettable, uplifting stories of God's miracles. We hope you'll join us on this journey.
[01:12]
A
Welcome back to the Miracle Files. We have a great story for you today. And, Emily, I got to see you this weekend.
[01:19]
B
Yes. We were so blessed to be able to be interviewed by a magazine. Yeah, it was so fun.
[01:26]
A
So fun.
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A little stressful.
[01:28]
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Yeah, we stressed way too much about her outfits and maybe with good reason. My daughters, when we sent them a picture, they're like, mom, beige can be a little risky. And I was like, wait, do I look like I'm not wearing a shirt? But then I wore it anyway because I couldn't find anything else to wear. So rip to me.
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And then like 30 minutes before the reporter arrives, I'm like, I need a new outfit. We gotta go and be like, run down to the closest store.
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Ran down to a thrift store for a dollar 93. You got your four inch heels.
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Oh, my gosh. We have this podcast that focuses on all these people who are so cool under pressure, and we are not the
[02:03]
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irony that we are the hosts of this show.
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Thank you guys for sticking with us even though we are imperfect. Luckily, these are stories about God and he is perfect, so.
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And luckily, he loves us, too, despite our imperfections. So, yeah, anyway, today we want to introduce you to a lady who has a really unique story. Her name is Kelsey Vandermyde, and her story is quite a bit different than a lot of the stories we do. But it's incredible and fascinating and it definitely has a place in the Miracle Files. So without further ado, here's Sparks in the Darkness.
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Kelsey was terrified of the dark. Not the ordinary kind of Fear. Most children have imagined monsters under the bed or shadows stretching across a bedroom wall. Her darkness felt heavier than that, more alive somehow. When night settled over the mountains of western Montana, it covered everything with a woolly blanket of pitch black. There were no porch lights glowing in the distance, no headlights passing by or electricity humming softly through the walls. Their cabin had no electricity and sat nearly an hour from town, hidden deep in the wilderness where even the trees seemed to disappear into the darkness of night. Sometimes Kelsey would lie awake, staring into the unlit void, convinced something was waiting just beyond what she could see. The silence outside would break with the snapping of branches or the distant cry of an animal, and eventually her fear would become unbearable. She would reach for the flashlight beside her bed, click it on, and watch a small beam of light push back the darkness around. Kelsey's parents had chosen to live completely off grid, raising their children in isolation from the modern world. They started in a teepee before eventually building a rough cabin by hand. Their family had very little contact with society beyond occasional trips into town for supplies. Here's Kelsey.
[04:17]
C
My dad built the cabin and I was born inside the cabin. My dad delivered me with no electricity, no midwife, and I was raised just that extreme lifestyle. Like we had very little to no contact with the outside world.
[04:34]
B
For a brief period, her father experimented with polygamy. In fact, Kelsey's uncle is Cody Brown from the TV series Sister Wives. Though Kelsey never identified with the lifestyle. Her father had married three wives altogether, fathering 20 children between different relationships. But their polygamist arrangement was short lived and chaotic. By the time Kelsey was five years old, her mother had left and the marriages had collapsed. Only one wife remained, and the family's life revolved less around religion and more around survival. The children spent their days milking goats, chopping wood, gathering food from gardens and roaming the mountains barefoot and unsupervised. At night, the cabin flickered with lantern light and candles until the darkness was all that was left.
[05:27]
C
In the complete darkness. When we striked the match on the matchbox like that tiny little match would light up the darkness. And when we lit the candle or the lantern, it just dispelled the darkness.
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But the darkness wasn't just physical. It was spiritual and mental. Her father occasionally read the Bible aloud, so she had a rough idea of who God was. But there were no church services, no consistent prayers, and no strong spiritual foundation in the home. After her parents divorce, her father became emotionally distant and largely withdrew from parenting altogether. Her mother disappeared for more than a year before returning only occasionally for short visits. Much of Kelsey's childhood was shaped instead by her stepmother, who worked tirelessly to keep the enormous family functioning, while the older siblings helped raise the younger ones.
[06:23]
C
My dad was a doomsday prepper, so he was very much the world's gonna end, and just a lot of that fear mentality. And there was a couple times that I, like, legit thought that the government was just gonna take us into these camps and that the world was just going to get overrun because my dad was just so fearful of how corrupt the government was.
[06:48]
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One day when Kelsey was a child, some friends of her father's came to stay with their family for a short time. What her father didn't know was that they were wanted fugitives. When police finally tracked them down, officers suddenly swarmed the property.
[07:05]
C
An entire SWAT team, and, like, cop cars and everything, and came up to where we lived, which where we lived was, like, literally. You drive on this little dirt road forever out in the middle of nowhere. There's no neighbors, nothing. So, like, a whole SWAT team came up, and there was, like, army men surrounding us. So when I was a kid, I was like, oh, my gosh, my dad's right. The world's gonna end.
[07:29]
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The fugitives were taken away without incident. But the memory of that day lingered in Kelsey's mind long afterward. Despite the instability, there were moments of light in that childhood. In the wilderness, the children built forts in the trees, chased each other through fields, picked berries in the mountains, and lived with the kind of freedom few children ever experience. Without televisions or phones or constant distractions, Kelsey spent long stretches of time simply thinking. She would wander through the woods, wondering how the mountains existed, why the stars felt so endless, and whether someone had created all of it. The first time Kelsey ever truly prayed, she was 8 years old and desperate to save a deer.
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I had a pet deer, and she was, like my absolute best friend. And I would milk our goats and feed her, and our goats would go off in the mountains and come back. And then one time, they didn't come back, and she was withering away and about to die, and my little heart was breaking. And so I was up on this mountain, and I just felt like I should say a prayer because I wanted her to live so bad, and I gave up on everything else. And this was, like, the last option. And so I closed my eyes, and then I said a prayer. And when I opened my eyes, the goats were all around. And so, like, this is the first time I remembered. Like, oh, I actually said a prayer. But that sparked like, oh, wait, there's got to be something more.
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When Kelsey was nine years old, her father took her into town to get a birthday present. Kelsey wanted a puppy so badly, and her father promised he would get her one. But things did not go according to plan.
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And we also were going to get a first haircut. We go in, we get our haircut, and my dad literally buzzes our hair off. So we were, like, buzzed. So we have super short hair. And I was already a tomboy and I straight up look like a boy. And I was just sad about that. And then I was like, okay, fine, I can get over that. I'm gonna get this puppy. I'm gonna be so excited. I gotta take care of this puppy. And then we show up at this pound, and my dad picks out this already grown dog, and it's a bear dog and it's like black with, like, white on his chest. But it's already full grown, and I'm devastated. I don't want a dog. I want a puppy so that I can, like, teach it and grow up with it and snuggle it. Not a full grown dog. And I'm just in tears and it's just. I hated it and I did not want this dog.
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Kelsey named the dog Tasha, but wanted nothing to do with her. Kelsey did notice, however, that Tasha and her pet deer were beginning to form a tentative friendship. Slowly, Kelsey learned to tolerate the dog. Life in the Montana wilderness remained wild in every sense of the word. Bears, wolves, and other wild animals often wandered near the property. Danger was so common that the children usually didn't even recognize it as danger. But then, one evening near dusk, Kelsey and her younger sister decided to take a walk along one of the dirt paths near their cabin. The mountains were growing quiet as the sun disappeared behind the trees and the fading light cast long shadows through the forest around them. As they walked, Kelsey heard branches snapping somewhere in the distance. At first, she ignored it. Wildlife sounds were normal in the mountains. But then she heard it again, closer this time.
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I stopped for a minute, and then we just kept walking because we hear that a lot. There's a lot of, like, wild bunnies and deer and just a lot of wild animals. And so we're just used to it.
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She reached out her arm, stopping her younger sister beside her. For a brief moment, everything became silent. Then they heard the noises again.
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And then I looked into the distance where all the rustling sounded like the noises were coming from. And then out comes a huge mountain lion.
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Kelsey froze. The animal was enormous, far larger than she had imagined a mountain lion could be. Its muscles rolled beneath its body as it moved onto the path and its eyes stared directly into hers.
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And I looked over to my sister and then all of a sudden all this information about what to do when you encounter a mountain lion pops in my head because my dad would tell us like, okay, if this happens or this happens or if you run into a bear, if you run into a mountain lion. And so he did tell us, if you run into a mountain lion, absolutely do not run or they will chase you and eat you. And then I looked back at my sister and I said, don't run.
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Suddenly a strange sound rose from the mountain lion's throat. A scream like growl that echoed through the trees and made Kelsey's blood run cold.
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It is like chilling, it's like this high pitch growl mixed with like a woman's scream. And so it made that noise and it starts walking closer and closer towards us. And in that moment I realized I could one let fear control me and I could book it because I wanted to. Everything in my body wanted me to just run or I could control the fear and I could stand my ground and use the knowledge that came to me. And so I chose in that moment to control the fear. And so I stood my ground and just locked eyes with this mountain lion.
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Every instinct inside of Kelsey begged her to turn and sprint back toward the cabin. But somehow she stayed where she was. The mountain lion stepped closer toward them.
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And I knew in that moment I'm going to get eaten and I just really hope that it's quick and not painful. And then I look back.
[13:30]
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Fear had overtaken Kelsey's younger sister who had suddenly turned and sprinted toward the cabin, disappearing down the path. Nine year old Kelsey now stood alone, face to face with a mountain lion. On one hand, Kelsey was grateful her sister had escaped. On the other, she knew her sister hadn't been the mountain lion's chosen prey. It was focused solely on Kelsey, its yellow eyes bearing down on her. From the mountain lion came a low, guttural growl. It moved forward on its giant paws. Kelsey stood frozen, bracing for sharp claws to tear into her skin. And then, without warning, she saw a black blur. At first she couldn't comprehend what was happening. But then she realized she no longer faced the mountain lion alone. The black blur was Tasha, the dog Kelsey never wanted. The dog Kelsey had sworn never to love. Tasha launched herself directly at the mountain lion.
[14:46]
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And it comes out of just nowhere and just starts attacking this mountain lion, which is wild because the mountain lion is like three times its size. Just comes at it, starts attacking this mountain lion.
[14:58]
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The two animals collided violently in the middle of the trail. The mountain lion was significantly larger, but Tasha attacked anyway, snarling and throwing herself into the fight with complete fearlessness. Kelsey could hear barking, screaming, and the sounds of the animals tearing into each other as chaos erupted around her. That was the moment she finally ran. She bolted back toward the cabin while the sounds of fight echoed behind her in the dark shadows of the woods. By the time her siblings and older brother rushed outside with a gun, the mountain lion had run off. Kelsey stood there, winded and trembling. She felt so grateful to be safe. But what about Tasha? Kelsey scanned the tree line, fearing the worst. Then movement caught her eye. Out of the woods came her dog, bloody, exhausted and limping. Kelsey stared in disbelief.
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She made it. She had some scratches and bites on her, but she totally made later dawned
[16:11]
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on Kelsey that if her father had brought home the puppy she originally wanted, she almost certainly would not have survived that encounter. The very thing she had cried over and rejected had become the very thing that protected her when she needed it most. For the second time in her young life, she felt another flicker of something she couldn't explain. Maybe God was real. Maybe he had been watching over her all along. After that night, everything changed between Kelsey and the dog. Tasha became her constant companion. And soon Tasha and Kelsey's pet deer became inseparable, often sleeping beside one another near the cabin. But as Kelsey grew older, the darkness in her life began shifting from the wilderness around her to something much deeper inside her. At 14 years old, she entered public high school for the first time. The transition felt catastrophic. Kelsey had spent nearly her entire childhood isolated in the mountains, poorly homeschooled and almost completely unprepared for normal society. She barely knew how to read. She didn't understand how schools worked, how teenagers interacted, or even how to navigate a hallway full of strangers. On her first day, she rode a bus for an hour down the mountains into town, feeling panic filled with every mile. When she finally arrived at school and stepped into the crowded hallways, the noise and movement overwhelmed her immediately. Students should shoved past each other between classes while a locker slammed around her. And Kelsey felt as though she had been dropped into a foreign country where everyone else somehow knew the rules except her. She lasted only two days before dropping out, and then the next year, she tried again.
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I really, like, forced myself to stay, but it was so difficult in so many ways. I didn't know how to communicate with people. I didn't know how Conversations flowed and how to converse with people and talk to people, especially not my own age. Like, yes, I talked to my siblings, but I feel like we almost created our own, like, mountain children lingo and communication style. So that was really hard. And then I just failed all my classes at first. And I got made fun of a lot. And I did get bullied a lot in the school. The people were super mean, and in class it was okay. I just had to sit there and try to pay attention to them speaking this different language, just trying to pick up the words that I did understand. But I was so scared when the bell rang and it was lunchtime and I had to go out into this, like, cafeteria with all these kids. I had no idea. And my heart was racing. I didn't know how to talk. And so people said horrible things to me. People tried to beat me up, and I got food spit in my hair and horrible names written all over my locker. And just, I could go on and on of all of the horrible things that happened. So I. A lot of times I would just take my food and just eat in the bathroom stall and eat really quick and just stay in there so that nobody could see me and then go back to school.
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Still, even during those years, there were occasional sparks of kindness that stayed with her. Teachers who helped her find classrooms, people who treated her with patience when she felt completely lost. But during high school, she felt shame, fear, and isolation. Eventually, that pain led her into darker places. She fell into the wrong crowd and became involved with drugs and alcohol. She found herself trapped in an unhealthy relationship that only deepened the emptiness she already carried inside. She eventually moved to Elko, Nevada with her boyfriend, where she worked long hours at Subway and as a hotel maid while living in a motel beside a brothel. By then, the darkness she feared as a little girl no longer existed outside her cabin window. It had settled fully into her life. And one night, sitting alone in that motel room, Kelsey finally reached the breaking point. She had gotten into a terrible fight with her boyfriend and felt completely surrounded by darkness.
[20:35]
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I just remembered that night just sinking so low that I'm like, this can't be life. This can't be, like, all there is to it, Just living day to day, like waking up working at the subway with this girl that does drugs and gets high out of her mind, and then going to this other job where I just am a maid and cleaning up everyone's filth, and then going to this motel, living with this boy who treats me horribly. And so I just, at that Moment. I just realized there has to be more to life. This can't just be it.
[21:05]
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The room felt suffocating, empty, dark in every possible sense. For the first time in years, she found herself thinking back to all those strange moments from her childhood. The deer that survived after her first prayer, the mountain lion encounter. The dog appearing at exactly the right second. A teacher showing her compassion. The quiet acts of protection and kindness she had almost forgotten. It suddenly felt as though those moments had been trying to point her somewhere all along. And in that darkness, she realized something simple but powerful. She wanted light.
[21:50]
C
And so when I was right in the depths of darkness, I did reflect back on these sparks of light that I did experience. And it projected me onto this path of seeking God, of seeking the light. And I did. I went to different Christian churches and I studied religion, and I really dove into finding. Finding light, finding the ultimate source of light. And I did. I found that it is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the ultimate source of light.
[22:20]
B
For Kelsey, the answers didn't arrive all at once in some dramatic moment. Instead, they came the same way. Light had always appeared throughout her life, in small sparks that slowly illuminated the darkness around her.
[22:37]
C
When I did realize that there was God and I found God, it was just so comforting to know that the light always wins in the end. There is not enough darkness in the entire universe to put out a single light, a single candle. And so I just love that, that no matter how much darkness and evil there is in this world, a tiny little candle of light can make that all disappear.
[23:07]
B
Now when Kelsey reflects on her childhood, she no longer sees fear, neglect, or isolation. She sees miracles, big and small, that kept leading her toward God long before she recognized his presence. And today, Kelsey believes those sparks were never random at all.
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C
I honestly think miracles can also be just like when you feel so low or so unloved. It's like that comforting feeling or that spark or that tiny little light. Or like those people that come into your life that help lift you up or a smile from a stranger that helps you through that day. Like, miracles can be the tiny, littlest moments, the feeling of connection, of love, and then these big, huge, huge moments. Some people don't ever experience these big, huge moments. And so they do think, like, oh, is God there? But if you don't have these huge, unexplainable miracles and you still have that hope and you still follow God, I think that's so powerful because your faith is so strong. And I think everyone can look in their life and they can find those Small, little sparks. Those little, tiny miracles.
[24:19]
B
For most of her life, Kelsey thought she was surrounded by darkness. Now she knows the light had been with her the entire time.
[24:36]
A
This was a really special story for me to write up because I just loved that imagery of the sparks in the darkness. And I feel like it's such a beautiful way to describe how God often works in our lives.
[24:48]
C
Yeah.
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B
I love that you could just see. See all of these little sparks in her life. And it's kind of different from what we typically do. We normally tell, like, one larger story, and this is instead a series of smaller miracles that led up to her finding God, which is amazing.
[25:02]
A
Yeah. And she's had such a fascinating life.
[25:05]
B
I know.
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A
So Kelsey shared something really crazy and kind of creepy with us, but it's also pretty miraculous. So here's what she said.
[25:14]
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I've shared the story of my family knowing Israel Keys, who ended up being a serial killer, and just, like, seeing that darkness and, like, hearing about all of the horrible things that happened. So my parents were best friends with his parents, and so my older siblings grew up with Israel and knew him, and then he actually stayed in our cabin after he committed crimes. So that's another miracle that he didn't kill any of us, which I feel like would have been a perfect opportunity because we lived out in the middle of nowhere, and nobody would know if one of the million children living there.
[25:46]
A
That is chilling.
[25:48]
B
Right.
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A
And from my days of following True Crime podcast, I know who Israel Keys is.
[25:54]
B
I don't know if.
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A
Do you know who he is, Emily?
[25:55]
B
Yeah, he's creepy.
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A
Oh, my gosh. He was. He was suspected of murdering, like, at least 11 people. And he buried kill kits across the US and traveled all over to commit crimes. Like, such a scary guy.
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C
Yes.
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B
Amazing that nothing happened to her or any of her siblings, which. Yeah, maybe another one of those little sparks in her story.
[26:17]
A
Yes. And by the way, during the time that Kelsey worked at the subway in Elko, my husband and I stopped there on the way to San Francisco, and I remember seeing this beautiful girl there. We had a big, pretty, long conversation with her, and I just thought, she looks so out of place. And I wondered how she ended up there. And I. As we drove away, both my husband and I were thinking that we just really hoped that things would turn around for her. And when I look back now, I'm pretty sure that girl was Kelsey.
[26:46]
B
Might have been no coincidences, right?
[26:48]
A
We always say, yeah, no coincidences.
[26:51]
B
And by the way, I just want to add, you know, Kelsey has Been through a lot of really hard moments, but she is doing so well now. She's married. And the way that she met her husband is a really cute story.
[27:04]
A
Yes.
[27:05]
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So she sees him at a party, and the holy spirit just told her, that's your husband?
[27:11]
A
This is your husband? Yeah, yeah.
[27:13]
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And so she's like, okay, well, I better go talk to him first. So here's what Kelsey said about it.
[27:18]
C
I didn't know what to do. Just go up to him, and I didn't know what to say. I'm like, this voice is telling me to talk to you. I just. I'm like, I'm gonna sound like a crazy person. And so I, like, go up to him. I give him a good old handshake, and we kind of just talk for a minute. And then he was like, well, it was good to, you know, meet you and stuff. And playing it off. Cool. He, like, walks away. I legit grab him by the arm and pull him back because I didn't know why the spirit told me. And so I pull him back, and I'm like, I'm not done talking to you. And I seriously, like, my stomach dropped because I'm like, who does that?
[27:53]
B
So at this point, she thinks she's blown it.
[27:56]
A
Yeah.
[27:56]
B
But here's what's going through her husband's mind.
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C
So when I walked in the room, he saw me. He knew I was his wife. When he saw me walking towards him, he was like, yes, because he was thinking the same thing. He's like, what do I do? Go up to this girl like, you're my wife. He's like, trying to play it off cool. So when we're talking, he's like, I just didn't want to scare you off. And so when you pulled me back, he's like, that was legit the coolest thing I've ever experienced in my life. So he got my number, and we got engaged. We were instantly best friends. Like, it was just the stars aligning and everything. And we're happily married and have three kids, so it worked out.
[28:35]
B
Isn't that the cutest story?
[28:37]
A
I love that miracles really do come in all shapes and sizes. And I think their marriage is just another miracle, another spark in these three. Yeah. And I love how it just feels like God was holding her hand, leading her through that darkness throughout her whole life. And it makes me emotional to think about, because I know he does that for all of us.
[28:57]
B
Yeah, he does. I know. It made me think about all the little sparks in my life, because I know he's done things for me, too. Just like that.
[29:04]
A
Yeah, I have a lot of little sparks that I can think of. And one that it reminds me of is when I was in high school, I was going through a dark time. I just. I didn't even believe in God at that point. I decided that he wasn't real. I was just kind of a rebellious teenager, honestly. And I remember there was a time I was in the hallway at school and my friend had headphones on, and I was like, hey, what are you listening to? You know, I was thinking it was some cool music or whatever. And she said, why don't you listen? And she put her headphones on me and she was listening to this beautiful song about Jesus. And I remember how just the chaos of the hallway disappeared, and I just felt this peace wash over me. And even though I had hardened my heart so much, that was just one of those little sparks, you know, where I just felt this moment of light and of peace, and I knew I couldn't deny it. And it was one of the things that led me back to my path towards God.
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B
And isn't it amazing how God knows us individually and he knew that's what you needed, that was the spark you needed.
[30:06]
A
That's what I needed.
[30:07]
B
And I've had my own sparks that have led me to Jesus, and I'm so grateful for those.
[30:11]
A
Me too.
[30:12]
B
All right, well, we want to thank Kelsey for sharing your story with us. This incre. Incredible, crazy story.
[30:19]
A
Yeah.
[30:19]
B
So grateful for how your life has turned out. And if you want to follow Kelsey on Instagram, her username is Kelsey King Vandy. That's K e L S E Y K I n G V A n D Y thank you guys so much for joining us today. And if you haven't subscribed to our podcast, please make sure you subscribe. Leave us a review. We'll see you next time.
[30:43]
C
See you then.
[30:46]
A
Thank you for joining us. If you have a miracle to share, contact us@themericlefiles.com or find us on social media. We release new episodes each Monday.
[30:55]
B
Yes. So don't forget Miracle Mondays. Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and YouTube for amazing video content as well.
[31:04]
A
Join us next time as we discover more of God's miracles. And don't forget to look for his light in your own lives.

Summary6 min read

The Miracle Files – True Miracle Stories

Episode 78: "Sparks in the Darkness" (August 3, 2026)

Episode Overview

In "Sparks in the Darkness," hosts Emily Jones and Holly Worthington share the extraordinary true story of Kelsey Vandermyde. Raised off-grid in the wilderness of Montana under challenging and chaotic circumstances, Kelsey’s story is a blend of survival, spiritual longing, and a series of small but profound miracles—what the hosts call “sparks of light.” With gripping storytelling reminiscent of true crime podcasts, the episode chronicles Kelsey’s battles—external with predators, internal with darkness—and the gradual way faith illuminated her life, inspiring listeners to look for the small lights in their own darkness.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to Kelsey’s World

Kelsey grew up in an isolated cabin in the Montana wilderness, completely off-grid: no electricity, far from society.
Her childhood was marked by fear of physical and metaphorical darkness.
- “Her darkness felt heavier than that, more alive somehow.” [02:41, B]

2. Family and Survival

Kelsey’s father built the cabin by hand and lived as a doomsday prepper, with occasional polygamist ties.
After a failed polygamist arrangement, Kelsey’s mother left; her father became emotionally distant. The children were raised with minimal societal contact, mostly by Kelsey’s stepmother and older siblings.
Material concerns and survival tasks (milking goats, chopping wood) overshadowed structured faith; spiritual knowledge came from sporadic Bible readings.

3. Early Flickers of Faith

Kelsey’s first memory of prayer came while trying to save a sick deer. Miraculously, after her prayer, the goats she needed returned.
- “I closed my eyes, and then I said a prayer. And when I opened my eyes, the goats were all around.” [08:16, C]

4. Trauma and Threats

Dangerous situations, such as fugitives hiding on their property leading to a full SWAT raid [07:04, C], heightened Kelsey’s fears and her father’s apocalyptic warnings:
- “When I was a kid, I was like, oh, my gosh, my dad's right. The world's gonna end.” [07:22, C]

5. The Mountain Lion Miracle (CENTRAL STORY: 10:03 – 16:11)

Kelsey and her younger sister encounter a massive mountain lion at dusk. Remembering her father’s advice not to run, Kelsey stands her ground:
- “I realized I could one let fear control me and I could book it because I wanted to...or I could control the fear and stand my ground and use the knowledge that came to me. And so I chose...to control the fear.” [12:34, C]
Her sister flees, leaving Kelsey face-to-face with the predator. Suddenly, Tasha, the dog Kelsey never wanted, appears and courageously attacks the mountain lion, saving her life.
- “Just starts attacking this mountain lion, which is wild because the mountain lion is like three times its size...So when Tasha and the mountain lion collided and fought, that's when I ran.” [14:45, C]
Tasha emerges bloody but alive. Kelsey reflects that the unwanted dog, rejected and resented, became her salvation.
- “If my dad had gotten me a puppy like I wanted, I would not have survived.” [16:11, B]

6. Transition to Society and Struggles with Darkness Within

At 14, Kelsey attends public high school, feeling overwhelmed and quickly drops out. When she returns, she faces severe bullying and isolation:
- “People tried to beat me up, and I got food spit in my hair and horrible names written all over my locker...So a lot of times I would just eat in the bathroom stall so nobody could see me.” [18:08, C]
Alone and struggling, she drifts into unhealthy relationships, substance abuse, and moves to Nevada, falling into deeper darkness.

7. Finding Light in the Darkness

At her lowest—a motel room in Elko, Nevada—Kelsey reflects on her past sparks of hope and protection: the deer, the dog, a teacher’s kindness.
- “I just realized there has to be more to life. This can't just be it.” [20:34, C]
Decides to seek God and light, visiting different churches and eventually finding peace in faith:
- “Light always wins in the end. There is not enough darkness in the entire universe to put out a single light, a single candle.” [22:37, C]

8. The Nature of Miracles

Miracles are often small, everyday moments of kindness and connection—sparks in the darkness:
- “I think miracles can also be just like when you feel so low or so unloved...or a smile from a stranger that helps you through that day. Like, miracles can be the tiny, littlest moments...” [23:27, C]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Encounter with the Mountain Lion

“And I knew in that moment I'm going to get eaten and I just really hope that it's quick and not painful.” [13:21, C]
"The very thing she had cried over and rejected had become the very thing that protected her when she needed it most." [16:11, B]

Emerging From Darkness

“It projected me onto this path of seeking God, of seeking the light...I found that it is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the ultimate source of light.” [21:49, C]
“A tiny little candle of light can make [all the darkness] disappear.” [22:37, C]

Reflections on Miracles

“Everyone can look in their life and they can find those small, little sparks. Those little, tiny miracles.” [23:27, C]

Additional Noteworthy Segments

Kelsey’s Proximity to True Crime

Her family knew Israel Keys, a notorious serial killer; he even stayed at their cabin after his crimes:
- “Another miracle that he didn't kill any of us...because we lived out in the middle of nowhere and nobody would know.” [25:14, C]
The hosts remark on the chilling “true crime tie-in” and agree this was another protective spark.

“No Coincidences” Moment

Host Holly recounts meeting Kelsey years before, not knowing her story, but remembering thinking “she looks so out of place” and later realizing it must have been her. [26:16, A-B]

Kelsey’s Love Story (27:04 – 28:34)

At a party, both she and her future husband feel divinely prompted that they are meant to be together. After an awkward introduction, she literally grabs his arm so he won’t leave—a moment both now see as a spark of destiny and faith.
- “When he saw me walking towards him, he was like, yes, because he was thinking the same thing.” [27:59, C]
They marry and now have three children—a “miraculous marriage” and another evidence of God’s leading.

Reflections from the Hosts (28:56 – 30:11)

Emily and Holly share how Kelsey’s story makes them reflect on “sparks” in their own lives:
- Holly recalls a song about Jesus that brought her peace at a low point in high school. [29:04, A]
- Emily affirms: “God knows us individually and he knew that's what you needed, that was the spark you needed.” [29:59, B]

Important Timestamps

Kelsey’s Early Life & First Prayer: 04:16 – 09:02
Mountain Lion Encounter: 10:03 – 16:11
Struggles with Society and Addiction: 16:23 – 21:05
Kelsey’s Turning Point and Spiritual Awakening: 21:49 – 23:27
Israel Keys True Crime Connection: 25:14 – 25:53
Kelsey’s Marriage Story: 27:04 – 28:34
Hosts’ Reflections: 28:56 – 30:11

Tone and Style

The episode is warm, dramatic, and vividly descriptive—all in a storytelling style that’s both suspenseful and faith-filled. The hosts are candid, self-deprecating, and gently humorous, balancing seriousness during intense moments with lightness in their input and reflections. Kelsey’s own voice comes through with sincerity and grounded faith.

Takeaways

Miracles are not always dramatic; sometimes, they are small moments or people that bring light into darkness.
Even the things we initially resent or reject can become our most profound blessings.
God’s guidance often comes as sparks, not floods—little, persistent reminders that light cannot be overcome by darkness.

Where to Find More

Follow Kelsey on Instagram: @kelseykingvandy
More miracle stories at The Miracle Files

End Note:
"Sparks in the Darkness" encourages listeners to look for ‘sparks’—small, sustaining miracles—even in their own times of fear or darkness. As Kelsey’s journey powerfully illustrates: a tiny candle of light really can push back the darkness.

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Transcript102 lines

[00:00]
A
This episode is brought to you by BonCharge. Visit BonCharge.com using promo code Miracle to show your support.
[00:10]
B
Kelsey and her younger sister heard branches snapping somewhere in the distance.
[00:16]
C
I stopped for a minute, and then I looked into the distance where all the noises were coming from. Out comes a huge mountain lion.
[00:25]
B
The animal was enormous. Its muscles rolled beneath its body as it moved onto the path.
[00:32]
C
And then I looked back at my sister and I said, don't run.
[00:35]
B
From the mountain lion came a low, guttural growl. It moved forward on its giant paws.
[00:41]
C
And I knew in that moment, I'm going to get eaten.
[00:49]
B
This is the Miracle Files. I'm Emily Jones.
[00:53]
A
And I'm Holly Worthington. We're two sisters who love a captivating true story, but we're also seeking more light in our lives.
[01:01]
B
So we're on a mission to find and share unforgettable, uplifting stories of God's miracles. We hope you'll join us on this journey.
[01:12]
A
Welcome back to the Miracle Files. We have a great story for you today. And, Emily, I got to see you this weekend.
[01:19]
B
Yes. We were so blessed to be able to be interviewed by a magazine. Yeah, it was so fun.
[01:26]
A
So fun.
[01:26]
B
A little stressful.
[01:28]
A
Yeah, we stressed way too much about her outfits and maybe with good reason. My daughters, when we sent them a picture, they're like, mom, beige can be a little risky. And I was like, wait, do I look like I'm not wearing a shirt? But then I wore it anyway because I couldn't find anything else to wear. So rip to me.
[01:45]
B
And then like 30 minutes before the reporter arrives, I'm like, I need a new outfit. We gotta go and be like, run down to the closest store.
[01:51]
A
Ran down to a thrift store for a dollar 93. You got your four inch heels.
[01:55]
B
Oh, my gosh. We have this podcast that focuses on all these people who are so cool under pressure, and we are not the
[02:03]
A
irony that we are the hosts of this show.
[02:06]
B
Thank you guys for sticking with us even though we are imperfect. Luckily, these are stories about God and he is perfect, so.
[02:12]
A
And luckily, he loves us, too, despite our imperfections. So, yeah, anyway, today we want to introduce you to a lady who has a really unique story. Her name is Kelsey Vandermyde, and her story is quite a bit different than a lot of the stories we do. But it's incredible and fascinating and it definitely has a place in the Miracle Files. So without further ado, here's Sparks in the Darkness.
[02:41]
B
Kelsey was terrified of the dark. Not the ordinary kind of Fear. Most children have imagined monsters under the bed or shadows stretching across a bedroom wall. Her darkness felt heavier than that, more alive somehow. When night settled over the mountains of western Montana, it covered everything with a woolly blanket of pitch black. There were no porch lights glowing in the distance, no headlights passing by or electricity humming softly through the walls. Their cabin had no electricity and sat nearly an hour from town, hidden deep in the wilderness where even the trees seemed to disappear into the darkness of night. Sometimes Kelsey would lie awake, staring into the unlit void, convinced something was waiting just beyond what she could see. The silence outside would break with the snapping of branches or the distant cry of an animal, and eventually her fear would become unbearable. She would reach for the flashlight beside her bed, click it on, and watch a small beam of light push back the darkness around. Kelsey's parents had chosen to live completely off grid, raising their children in isolation from the modern world. They started in a teepee before eventually building a rough cabin by hand. Their family had very little contact with society beyond occasional trips into town for supplies. Here's Kelsey.
[04:17]
C
My dad built the cabin and I was born inside the cabin. My dad delivered me with no electricity, no midwife, and I was raised just that extreme lifestyle. Like we had very little to no contact with the outside world.
[04:34]
B
For a brief period, her father experimented with polygamy. In fact, Kelsey's uncle is Cody Brown from the TV series Sister Wives. Though Kelsey never identified with the lifestyle. Her father had married three wives altogether, fathering 20 children between different relationships. But their polygamist arrangement was short lived and chaotic. By the time Kelsey was five years old, her mother had left and the marriages had collapsed. Only one wife remained, and the family's life revolved less around religion and more around survival. The children spent their days milking goats, chopping wood, gathering food from gardens and roaming the mountains barefoot and unsupervised. At night, the cabin flickered with lantern light and candles until the darkness was all that was left.
[05:27]
C
In the complete darkness. When we striked the match on the matchbox like that tiny little match would light up the darkness. And when we lit the candle or the lantern, it just dispelled the darkness.
[05:39]
B
But the darkness wasn't just physical. It was spiritual and mental. Her father occasionally read the Bible aloud, so she had a rough idea of who God was. But there were no church services, no consistent prayers, and no strong spiritual foundation in the home. After her parents divorce, her father became emotionally distant and largely withdrew from parenting altogether. Her mother disappeared for more than a year before returning only occasionally for short visits. Much of Kelsey's childhood was shaped instead by her stepmother, who worked tirelessly to keep the enormous family functioning, while the older siblings helped raise the younger ones.
[06:23]
C
My dad was a doomsday prepper, so he was very much the world's gonna end, and just a lot of that fear mentality. And there was a couple times that I, like, legit thought that the government was just gonna take us into these camps and that the world was just going to get overrun because my dad was just so fearful of how corrupt the government was.
[06:48]
B
One day when Kelsey was a child, some friends of her father's came to stay with their family for a short time. What her father didn't know was that they were wanted fugitives. When police finally tracked them down, officers suddenly swarmed the property.
[07:05]
C
An entire SWAT team, and, like, cop cars and everything, and came up to where we lived, which where we lived was, like, literally. You drive on this little dirt road forever out in the middle of nowhere. There's no neighbors, nothing. So, like, a whole SWAT team came up, and there was, like, army men surrounding us. So when I was a kid, I was like, oh, my gosh, my dad's right. The world's gonna end.
[07:29]
B
The fugitives were taken away without incident. But the memory of that day lingered in Kelsey's mind long afterward. Despite the instability, there were moments of light in that childhood. In the wilderness, the children built forts in the trees, chased each other through fields, picked berries in the mountains, and lived with the kind of freedom few children ever experience. Without televisions or phones or constant distractions, Kelsey spent long stretches of time simply thinking. She would wander through the woods, wondering how the mountains existed, why the stars felt so endless, and whether someone had created all of it. The first time Kelsey ever truly prayed, she was 8 years old and desperate to save a deer.
[08:17]
C
I had a pet deer, and she was, like my absolute best friend. And I would milk our goats and feed her, and our goats would go off in the mountains and come back. And then one time, they didn't come back, and she was withering away and about to die, and my little heart was breaking. And so I was up on this mountain, and I just felt like I should say a prayer because I wanted her to live so bad, and I gave up on everything else. And this was, like, the last option. And so I closed my eyes, and then I said a prayer. And when I opened my eyes, the goats were all around. And so, like, this is the first time I remembered. Like, oh, I actually said a prayer. But that sparked like, oh, wait, there's got to be something more.
[09:02]
B
When Kelsey was nine years old, her father took her into town to get a birthday present. Kelsey wanted a puppy so badly, and her father promised he would get her one. But things did not go according to plan.
[09:15]
C
And we also were going to get a first haircut. We go in, we get our haircut, and my dad literally buzzes our hair off. So we were, like, buzzed. So we have super short hair. And I was already a tomboy and I straight up look like a boy. And I was just sad about that. And then I was like, okay, fine, I can get over that. I'm gonna get this puppy. I'm gonna be so excited. I gotta take care of this puppy. And then we show up at this pound, and my dad picks out this already grown dog, and it's a bear dog and it's like black with, like, white on his chest. But it's already full grown, and I'm devastated. I don't want a dog. I want a puppy so that I can, like, teach it and grow up with it and snuggle it. Not a full grown dog. And I'm just in tears and it's just. I hated it and I did not want this dog.
[10:04]
B
Kelsey named the dog Tasha, but wanted nothing to do with her. Kelsey did notice, however, that Tasha and her pet deer were beginning to form a tentative friendship. Slowly, Kelsey learned to tolerate the dog. Life in the Montana wilderness remained wild in every sense of the word. Bears, wolves, and other wild animals often wandered near the property. Danger was so common that the children usually didn't even recognize it as danger. But then, one evening near dusk, Kelsey and her younger sister decided to take a walk along one of the dirt paths near their cabin. The mountains were growing quiet as the sun disappeared behind the trees and the fading light cast long shadows through the forest around them. As they walked, Kelsey heard branches snapping somewhere in the distance. At first, she ignored it. Wildlife sounds were normal in the mountains. But then she heard it again, closer this time.
[11:06]
C
I stopped for a minute, and then we just kept walking because we hear that a lot. There's a lot of, like, wild bunnies and deer and just a lot of wild animals. And so we're just used to it.
[11:20]
B
She reached out her arm, stopping her younger sister beside her. For a brief moment, everything became silent. Then they heard the noises again.
[11:31]
C
And then I looked into the distance where all the rustling sounded like the noises were coming from. And then out comes a huge mountain lion.
[11:42]
B
Kelsey froze. The animal was enormous, far larger than she had imagined a mountain lion could be. Its muscles rolled beneath its body as it moved onto the path and its eyes stared directly into hers.
[11:57]
C
And I looked over to my sister and then all of a sudden all this information about what to do when you encounter a mountain lion pops in my head because my dad would tell us like, okay, if this happens or this happens or if you run into a bear, if you run into a mountain lion. And so he did tell us, if you run into a mountain lion, absolutely do not run or they will chase you and eat you. And then I looked back at my sister and I said, don't run.
[12:22]
B
Suddenly a strange sound rose from the mountain lion's throat. A scream like growl that echoed through the trees and made Kelsey's blood run cold.
[12:34]
C
It is like chilling, it's like this high pitch growl mixed with like a woman's scream. And so it made that noise and it starts walking closer and closer towards us. And in that moment I realized I could one let fear control me and I could book it because I wanted to. Everything in my body wanted me to just run or I could control the fear and I could stand my ground and use the knowledge that came to me. And so I chose in that moment to control the fear. And so I stood my ground and just locked eyes with this mountain lion.
[13:09]
B
Every instinct inside of Kelsey begged her to turn and sprint back toward the cabin. But somehow she stayed where she was. The mountain lion stepped closer toward them.
[13:21]
C
And I knew in that moment I'm going to get eaten and I just really hope that it's quick and not painful. And then I look back.
[13:30]
B
Fear had overtaken Kelsey's younger sister who had suddenly turned and sprinted toward the cabin, disappearing down the path. Nine year old Kelsey now stood alone, face to face with a mountain lion. On one hand, Kelsey was grateful her sister had escaped. On the other, she knew her sister hadn't been the mountain lion's chosen prey. It was focused solely on Kelsey, its yellow eyes bearing down on her. From the mountain lion came a low, guttural growl. It moved forward on its giant paws. Kelsey stood frozen, bracing for sharp claws to tear into her skin. And then, without warning, she saw a black blur. At first she couldn't comprehend what was happening. But then she realized she no longer faced the mountain lion alone. The black blur was Tasha, the dog Kelsey never wanted. The dog Kelsey had sworn never to love. Tasha launched herself directly at the mountain lion.
[14:46]
C
And it comes out of just nowhere and just starts attacking this mountain lion, which is wild because the mountain lion is like three times its size. Just comes at it, starts attacking this mountain lion.
[14:58]
B
The two animals collided violently in the middle of the trail. The mountain lion was significantly larger, but Tasha attacked anyway, snarling and throwing herself into the fight with complete fearlessness. Kelsey could hear barking, screaming, and the sounds of the animals tearing into each other as chaos erupted around her. That was the moment she finally ran. She bolted back toward the cabin while the sounds of fight echoed behind her in the dark shadows of the woods. By the time her siblings and older brother rushed outside with a gun, the mountain lion had run off. Kelsey stood there, winded and trembling. She felt so grateful to be safe. But what about Tasha? Kelsey scanned the tree line, fearing the worst. Then movement caught her eye. Out of the woods came her dog, bloody, exhausted and limping. Kelsey stared in disbelief.
[16:06]
C
She made it. She had some scratches and bites on her, but she totally made later dawned
[16:11]
B
on Kelsey that if her father had brought home the puppy she originally wanted, she almost certainly would not have survived that encounter. The very thing she had cried over and rejected had become the very thing that protected her when she needed it most. For the second time in her young life, she felt another flicker of something she couldn't explain. Maybe God was real. Maybe he had been watching over her all along. After that night, everything changed between Kelsey and the dog. Tasha became her constant companion. And soon Tasha and Kelsey's pet deer became inseparable, often sleeping beside one another near the cabin. But as Kelsey grew older, the darkness in her life began shifting from the wilderness around her to something much deeper inside her. At 14 years old, she entered public high school for the first time. The transition felt catastrophic. Kelsey had spent nearly her entire childhood isolated in the mountains, poorly homeschooled and almost completely unprepared for normal society. She barely knew how to read. She didn't understand how schools worked, how teenagers interacted, or even how to navigate a hallway full of strangers. On her first day, she rode a bus for an hour down the mountains into town, feeling panic filled with every mile. When she finally arrived at school and stepped into the crowded hallways, the noise and movement overwhelmed her immediately. Students should shoved past each other between classes while a locker slammed around her. And Kelsey felt as though she had been dropped into a foreign country where everyone else somehow knew the rules except her. She lasted only two days before dropping out, and then the next year, she tried again.
[18:08]
C
I really, like, forced myself to stay, but it was so difficult in so many ways. I didn't know how to communicate with people. I didn't know how Conversations flowed and how to converse with people and talk to people, especially not my own age. Like, yes, I talked to my siblings, but I feel like we almost created our own, like, mountain children lingo and communication style. So that was really hard. And then I just failed all my classes at first. And I got made fun of a lot. And I did get bullied a lot in the school. The people were super mean, and in class it was okay. I just had to sit there and try to pay attention to them speaking this different language, just trying to pick up the words that I did understand. But I was so scared when the bell rang and it was lunchtime and I had to go out into this, like, cafeteria with all these kids. I had no idea. And my heart was racing. I didn't know how to talk. And so people said horrible things to me. People tried to beat me up, and I got food spit in my hair and horrible names written all over my locker. And just, I could go on and on of all of the horrible things that happened. So I. A lot of times I would just take my food and just eat in the bathroom stall and eat really quick and just stay in there so that nobody could see me and then go back to school.
[19:27]
B
Still, even during those years, there were occasional sparks of kindness that stayed with her. Teachers who helped her find classrooms, people who treated her with patience when she felt completely lost. But during high school, she felt shame, fear, and isolation. Eventually, that pain led her into darker places. She fell into the wrong crowd and became involved with drugs and alcohol. She found herself trapped in an unhealthy relationship that only deepened the emptiness she already carried inside. She eventually moved to Elko, Nevada with her boyfriend, where she worked long hours at Subway and as a hotel maid while living in a motel beside a brothel. By then, the darkness she feared as a little girl no longer existed outside her cabin window. It had settled fully into her life. And one night, sitting alone in that motel room, Kelsey finally reached the breaking point. She had gotten into a terrible fight with her boyfriend and felt completely surrounded by darkness.
[20:35]
C
I just remembered that night just sinking so low that I'm like, this can't be life. This can't be, like, all there is to it, Just living day to day, like waking up working at the subway with this girl that does drugs and gets high out of her mind, and then going to this other job where I just am a maid and cleaning up everyone's filth, and then going to this motel, living with this boy who treats me horribly. And so I just, at that Moment. I just realized there has to be more to life. This can't just be it.
[21:05]
B
The room felt suffocating, empty, dark in every possible sense. For the first time in years, she found herself thinking back to all those strange moments from her childhood. The deer that survived after her first prayer, the mountain lion encounter. The dog appearing at exactly the right second. A teacher showing her compassion. The quiet acts of protection and kindness she had almost forgotten. It suddenly felt as though those moments had been trying to point her somewhere all along. And in that darkness, she realized something simple but powerful. She wanted light.
[21:50]
C
And so when I was right in the depths of darkness, I did reflect back on these sparks of light that I did experience. And it projected me onto this path of seeking God, of seeking the light. And I did. I went to different Christian churches and I studied religion, and I really dove into finding. Finding light, finding the ultimate source of light. And I did. I found that it is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the ultimate source of light.
[22:20]
B
For Kelsey, the answers didn't arrive all at once in some dramatic moment. Instead, they came the same way. Light had always appeared throughout her life, in small sparks that slowly illuminated the darkness around her.
[22:37]
C
When I did realize that there was God and I found God, it was just so comforting to know that the light always wins in the end. There is not enough darkness in the entire universe to put out a single light, a single candle. And so I just love that, that no matter how much darkness and evil there is in this world, a tiny little candle of light can make that all disappear.
[23:07]
B
Now when Kelsey reflects on her childhood, she no longer sees fear, neglect, or isolation. She sees miracles, big and small, that kept leading her toward God long before she recognized his presence. And today, Kelsey believes those sparks were never random at all.
[23:27]
C
I honestly think miracles can also be just like when you feel so low or so unloved. It's like that comforting feeling or that spark or that tiny little light. Or like those people that come into your life that help lift you up or a smile from a stranger that helps you through that day. Like, miracles can be the tiny, littlest moments, the feeling of connection, of love, and then these big, huge, huge moments. Some people don't ever experience these big, huge moments. And so they do think, like, oh, is God there? But if you don't have these huge, unexplainable miracles and you still have that hope and you still follow God, I think that's so powerful because your faith is so strong. And I think everyone can look in their life and they can find those Small, little sparks. Those little, tiny miracles.
[24:19]
B
For most of her life, Kelsey thought she was surrounded by darkness. Now she knows the light had been with her the entire time.
[24:36]
A
This was a really special story for me to write up because I just loved that imagery of the sparks in the darkness. And I feel like it's such a beautiful way to describe how God often works in our lives.
[24:48]
C
Yeah.
[24:48]
B
I love that you could just see. See all of these little sparks in her life. And it's kind of different from what we typically do. We normally tell, like, one larger story, and this is instead a series of smaller miracles that led up to her finding God, which is amazing.
[25:02]
A
Yeah. And she's had such a fascinating life.
[25:05]
B
I know.
[25:06]
A
So Kelsey shared something really crazy and kind of creepy with us, but it's also pretty miraculous. So here's what she said.
[25:14]
C
I've shared the story of my family knowing Israel Keys, who ended up being a serial killer, and just, like, seeing that darkness and, like, hearing about all of the horrible things that happened. So my parents were best friends with his parents, and so my older siblings grew up with Israel and knew him, and then he actually stayed in our cabin after he committed crimes. So that's another miracle that he didn't kill any of us, which I feel like would have been a perfect opportunity because we lived out in the middle of nowhere, and nobody would know if one of the million children living there.
[25:46]
A
That is chilling.
[25:48]
B
Right.
[25:49]
A
And from my days of following True Crime podcast, I know who Israel Keys is.
[25:54]
B
I don't know if.
[25:54]
A
Do you know who he is, Emily?
[25:55]
B
Yeah, he's creepy.
[25:57]
A
Oh, my gosh. He was. He was suspected of murdering, like, at least 11 people. And he buried kill kits across the US and traveled all over to commit crimes. Like, such a scary guy.
[26:09]
C
Yes.
[26:09]
B
Amazing that nothing happened to her or any of her siblings, which. Yeah, maybe another one of those little sparks in her story.
[26:17]
A
Yes. And by the way, during the time that Kelsey worked at the subway in Elko, my husband and I stopped there on the way to San Francisco, and I remember seeing this beautiful girl there. We had a big, pretty, long conversation with her, and I just thought, she looks so out of place. And I wondered how she ended up there. And I. As we drove away, both my husband and I were thinking that we just really hoped that things would turn around for her. And when I look back now, I'm pretty sure that girl was Kelsey.
[26:46]
B
Might have been no coincidences, right?
[26:48]
A
We always say, yeah, no coincidences.
[26:51]
B
And by the way, I just want to add, you know, Kelsey has Been through a lot of really hard moments, but she is doing so well now. She's married. And the way that she met her husband is a really cute story.
[27:04]
A
Yes.
[27:05]
B
So she sees him at a party, and the holy spirit just told her, that's your husband?
[27:11]
A
This is your husband? Yeah, yeah.
[27:13]
B
And so she's like, okay, well, I better go talk to him first. So here's what Kelsey said about it.
[27:18]
C
I didn't know what to do. Just go up to him, and I didn't know what to say. I'm like, this voice is telling me to talk to you. I just. I'm like, I'm gonna sound like a crazy person. And so I, like, go up to him. I give him a good old handshake, and we kind of just talk for a minute. And then he was like, well, it was good to, you know, meet you and stuff. And playing it off. Cool. He, like, walks away. I legit grab him by the arm and pull him back because I didn't know why the spirit told me. And so I pull him back, and I'm like, I'm not done talking to you. And I seriously, like, my stomach dropped because I'm like, who does that?
[27:53]
B
So at this point, she thinks she's blown it.
[27:56]
A
Yeah.
[27:56]
B
But here's what's going through her husband's mind.
[28:00]
C
So when I walked in the room, he saw me. He knew I was his wife. When he saw me walking towards him, he was like, yes, because he was thinking the same thing. He's like, what do I do? Go up to this girl like, you're my wife. He's like, trying to play it off cool. So when we're talking, he's like, I just didn't want to scare you off. And so when you pulled me back, he's like, that was legit the coolest thing I've ever experienced in my life. So he got my number, and we got engaged. We were instantly best friends. Like, it was just the stars aligning and everything. And we're happily married and have three kids, so it worked out.
[28:35]
B
Isn't that the cutest story?
[28:37]
A
I love that miracles really do come in all shapes and sizes. And I think their marriage is just another miracle, another spark in these three. Yeah. And I love how it just feels like God was holding her hand, leading her through that darkness throughout her whole life. And it makes me emotional to think about, because I know he does that for all of us.
[28:57]
B
Yeah, he does. I know. It made me think about all the little sparks in my life, because I know he's done things for me, too. Just like that.
[29:04]
A
Yeah, I have a lot of little sparks that I can think of. And one that it reminds me of is when I was in high school, I was going through a dark time. I just. I didn't even believe in God at that point. I decided that he wasn't real. I was just kind of a rebellious teenager, honestly. And I remember there was a time I was in the hallway at school and my friend had headphones on, and I was like, hey, what are you listening to? You know, I was thinking it was some cool music or whatever. And she said, why don't you listen? And she put her headphones on me and she was listening to this beautiful song about Jesus. And I remember how just the chaos of the hallway disappeared, and I just felt this peace wash over me. And even though I had hardened my heart so much, that was just one of those little sparks, you know, where I just felt this moment of light and of peace, and I knew I couldn't deny it. And it was one of the things that led me back to my path towards God.
[30:00]
B
And isn't it amazing how God knows us individually and he knew that's what you needed, that was the spark you needed.
[30:06]
A
That's what I needed.
[30:07]
B
And I've had my own sparks that have led me to Jesus, and I'm so grateful for those.
[30:11]
A
Me too.
[30:12]
B
All right, well, we want to thank Kelsey for sharing your story with us. This incre. Incredible, crazy story.
[30:19]
A
Yeah.
[30:19]
B
So grateful for how your life has turned out. And if you want to follow Kelsey on Instagram, her username is Kelsey King Vandy. That's K e L S E Y K I n G V A n D Y thank you guys so much for joining us today. And if you haven't subscribed to our podcast, please make sure you subscribe. Leave us a review. We'll see you next time.
[30:43]
C
See you then.
[30:46]
A
Thank you for joining us. If you have a miracle to share, contact us@themericlefiles.com or find us on social media. We release new episodes each Monday.
[30:55]
B
Yes. So don't forget Miracle Mondays. Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and YouTube for amazing video content as well.
[31:04]
A
Join us next time as we discover more of God's miracles. And don't forget to look for his light in your own lives.