Faith Filled Family Magazine February 2017 | Page 51

Lynda Znachko ’ s journey and challenges the reader to say yes to the Holy Spirit ’ s leading , no matter how insignificant or strange it may seem . Let Znachko challenge you to say yes to the Holy Spirit and inspire your journey along the way , with the inspiring book , “ He Knows Your Name .”

When the evening news reported an abandoned baby had been found dead in a local dumpster , Linda Znachko ’ s comfortable life changed . She was suddenly convicted , knowing God wanted her to provide a dignified burial for this tiny lost child . She obeyed , having no idea where that first small yes would lead .
Znachko ’ s journey challenges the reader to say yes to the Holy Spirit ’ s leading , no matter how insignificant or strange it may seem .
Your book , “ He Knows Your Name ”, tells of how your ministry by the same name got started . Tell us a little bit about how the news story about an abandoned baby inspired you to say yes to God ’ s plan for you . It was a headline about Baby Doe , wearing a diaper and found in a dumpster , that grabbed my heart . God spoke to my spirit with a contrasting message — Doe is not a name , a diaper is not burial clothing and a dumpster is not a grave . God ’ s plan for me was to make this injustice right . I had no idea how that would look ; I only knew I needed to call and ask some questions . When I asked what would happen to this child if never claimed and was told “ nothing ,” my “ yes ” turned into action to make sure the child would be named , dressed and buried with dignity .
While anyone who watched the news or read the story of the abandoned would have certainly found it to be a terrible situation , you were struck on a deeper level . What was it about this baby that called you to action ? My mother died four months prior to this child ’ s abandonment . I was responsible for planning her funeral , which meant I ordered her headstone , helped choose her burial clothes , delivered them to the funeral home and planned her funeral service . I felt compelled to honor this child in the same way I had honored my mother . I wanted to be family for this child who was orphaned in death .
Were your family and friends supportive of your mission to provide a funeral and burial for the baby ? How did your husband react ? My husband was supportive right away . When I told him about the child in the news and about the conversations I had with the coroner ’ s office , he understood my need to advocate for the baby . We talked a lot about the uncharted waters I was entering into , and he encouraged me to press into the unknowns . My friends were a bit speechless about my relentless pursuit of justice . They wondered about my qualifications to meet with government officials and talk with the detectives about the case . When I said I wasn ’ t tech-