A birthday party turns wild leaving a prince in a dangerous situation.  This is why a mother prays constantly for her family especially her children.

On Thursday I could have lost one of my princes.  I had to push past the fear and remember why I had children.  They are a lot of worry and work.  They cost a lot.  Whether, it is money, time, or a piece of your heart.  If we give them a chance, they give us a lot of laughter, company, and love.

If we believe we have a call or vocation on our heart.  My call is marriage and family.  I don’t know how to explain it.   I just know God’s pull on my heart is for my marriage, parents, and family.

We lost my sister at seventeen.  For a while I didn’t even want children.  I was so afraid something like this would happen and I would be the mother left behind.  For a while I did not understand my desire for marriage and family.  The risk was too high.  I’d already seen what it does to parents.

When I took the sacrament of marriage, I consciously dedicated myself to the marriage and being a stepmother.  I was blessed with one princess when I married.  At the time, my husband and I agreed to not have children.  I was too afraid.

The princess was the key to unlocking my heart.  She convinced me children are worth the risk.  Two princes were given to my care by God.  God dedicated my life to my family.

When I pray, my family is foremost in my prayers.  Nowadays each person has a decade on my daily rosaries. They are also included in my constant talking to God.  It is as natural to me as breathing.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” [1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NKJV]

Friday afternoon all the “could haves” must have run through my head.  He could have been murdered.  He could have been hit by a car.  He could have been lost with no memory.  As we waited in the ER, my mom had to tell me to stop and breathe a couple of times.

The news reports horrible crimes to people all the time.  It is not new.  It has happened through the ages.  It is a fact of life.  Sometimes young people are hurt.  My prince might not have survived Thursday night. The reality is I can’t shelter my children from anything.  And I can’t live in complete fear.

Thursday night one prince was not home.  I texted him asking where he was; there was no answer.  I went to bed praying for him.  I did not know what to ask of God.  I just simply asked for him to come home safe.

He wasn’t home in the morning.  This is highly unusual.  At 6 a.m. I left a text message. Later I called.  His voice mail was full.  Fear took root squeezing my chest.  I sent new messages to him, the moms, and the princesses.  We were looking for him.  Everyone joined in the search in their own way; checking police blotters, calling friends, and prayer.  He was brought home about eleven in the morning.  He was sick with no memory.

He woke in the grass along the side of the road with no wallet, keys, or car.  He remembered a party with co-workers and setting aside a second drink that was too strong.  Then he woke up in the grass.  He believes the drink was drugged.  It seems to be the thing these days.  We do not have drug testing back yet.  But, the hospital did confirm alcohol poisoning.

I saw this type of thing a lot in college.  It was the “Let’s get the big guy wasted and see what he does.”  During the late 80s there were reports at my school of people dying on their twenty-first birthday from accidents and alcohol poisoning.  Birthdays, Frat parties, and just wild nights took its toll on the college population.  I would think what a shame.  I was not a prayerful person at that time.  But I still asid a prayer for the family.

It is every mother’s fear that something horrible will happen to her child.  I have faced that fear before when there were accidents or medical emergencies.  I faced that fear again on Thursday.  When my husband called to say he was home, relief rushed through my system.  I felt weak in the knees and joy in my heart.  I thought of the prodigal son’s* father.  He had to wait years to see his son;s return.  I was blessed.  I only had to wait hours to know he was okay.

My prince might have died that night.  He is a big guy.  He is over six foot tall.  The estimated amount of alcohol in his system would have killed a smaller man.  He must have been wandering on the side of the road in the early hours.  He was found nearly four miles from where he was last seen.  When he was robbed they might have decided to kill him for sport.  It is a dangerous world we live in.  The people with him did not have his back.  There was no earthly protection for him that night.

What I do believe is the Holy Spirit watched over this prince to bring him home.  When I prayed for his safety I didn’t realize I needed to ask for protection from thieves, accidents, or even to keep him breathing from the poison in his system.  The Lord knew what he needed before I could even ask.

Today I rejoice and pray giving thanks to God for the prayers he answered this weekend.  Have a blessed day.

Milly

* Luke 15:11-32

P.S: Permission to share granted by the prince himself 🙂