When Iris Found Me On Instagram...And God Wouldn't Let Me Let Her Go

Kelly Kirstein
Jun 26
3 min read

Updated: Jul 1

“You didn’t choose me.

I chose you.

I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit.”

John 15:16 (NLT)

Short Video about How I Met Iris

A Message from a 14-Year-Old Girl

Six years ago, I received a message on Instagram from a girl named Iris.

I believe she was only 14 at the time. Hurting. Angry. And honestly, rightfully so. The pain in her words was undeniable.

But even through a screen, the Holy Spirit whispered to my heart: “She belongs to Me.”

The world might have seen a broken, rebellious teenager. I saw something else. I saw a heart that hadn’t given up. A soul Jesus wasn’t finished with.

Wounded, Not Ruined

Iris asked hard questions. She told me about the terrible things people had done to her. And while I didn’t have all the answers, I did my best to help her see what was true.

“What happened to you doesn’t define you. You are not ruined. You are wounded. And those wounds don’t disqualify you from God’s love. They make space for His healing.”

Year after year, Iris would come to mind. I’d reach out, even during times when she had unfollowed me or pulled away. She was hurting deeply, but I never stopped praying. Even in the mess, I knew God had a mighty plan for her life.

Faithful Pursuit

“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? Luke 15:4

That’s the kind of love Jesus has for Iris.

And that’s the kind of love He placed in my heart for her. I wasn’t the only one God sent. I never am. But I was one voice. One reminder. One open hand. Every now and then, when she was ready, she reached back.

The timeline was never mine to write. But I never doubted that He would bring her home.

Our First FaceTime

This past May (2025), we finally spoke over FaceTime. It was the very first time I saw her face and heard her voice.

As soon as the screen lit up, I felt it. The presence of Jesus.

The light in her eyes. The softness in her spirit. The proof that the same God who met me in my darkest places was now walking with her in hers.

I wanted to reach through the screen and hug her. I couldn’t stop thinking, “This is the Jesus I know. Look at what He’s done for her.”

A Life Transformed

Iris has overcome battles that would have buried most people. Abuse. Addiction. Betrayal. Trauma. And yet she still stands. Not just as a survivor, but as a daughter of God.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”— John 1:5 NIV

She pushed through boundaries on every side. Darkness came after her with full force. But it didn’t win. Because Jesus never stopped chasing her.

Just the Beginning

I believe Iris will inspire countless other young women. Not because her story is easy to hear, but because it’s real. She shows us that healing is possible.

That worth isn’t something you earn. It’s something you’re born with, as a child of God.

She is proof that those who belong to Jesus are more powerful than they know. This is just the beginning for her.

I can’t wait to see what God does in her and through her.