Encouragement
The Lord had spoke to me the beginning of last year that He had girded me with strength to the battle. I began to search all the scriptures for strength. I had 5 pages when finished. I began to quote these verses over and over. Not everyday, but when He'd quicken me. After about 6 months, a serious battle broke out with my son and I. He was 15 at the time. He began to rebel against everything I taught from the bible. He didn't want anything to do with God. Since 13, he had been running away. Ususally, he'd only be gone for the day. But this particular year, he would be gone for 3-5 days at a time. I wouldn't know where he'd be, and people would call me and let me know they had seen him. When I'd get there, he'd be gone. I never thought I'd have to call the police on my child. After 13 times of calling the police to report him missing just this year, I became very acquainted with the police department. Some were very understanding, some were very sarcastic as if I was the one with the problem because I couldn't keep my son at home. My son said he wanted to be in a gang. He began to sell and do drugs. Before running away, I knew he was doing something, but I could never catch him at it. He'd start pacing through the house, and was very irritable. We were always arguing. September of last year, this particular night, he had been gone for 3 days. I didn't know where he was at. I hadn't heard anything from anyone. After returning from church, my heart was very heavy. I had a bad feeling something was wrong. Earlier in the day, I kept seeing these policemen on my porch. I couldn't sleep and was very restless. About 3a.m., I got a phone call. It was the police department. They had brought my son home. When I opened the door, they said are you so and so. I said, "Yes". They stated my son had been badly beaten and could I please get him some clothes. When my son stepped out of the car, my heart dropped. He had been badly beaten all over his head. He was black and purple. He had a very large knot on one side of his head. He looked disfigured. He ran up to me and hugged me and said, "Mom, I'm so sorry." "But we have to go, they're going to be coming." He had been jumped into a gang, but then they turned on him later on in the evening. They made him strip all his clothes off, and I believe they were going to do something else to him, but he ran out the motel room. He ran for his life to another motel, naked. Everytime I think about my child, beaten, running naked outside for his life, it hurts me to my heart. He had told the police officers he was 19. They were just going to drop him off and leave him, but when I told them he was 15, they were upset. I had to take him to the e.r. The doctor even told him, "you know they were trying to kill you?" His ct scan came back o.k., and we were sent home with pain medication. His eyes were bloodshot for a month. Needless to say, my son has never ran away since then. He was afraid the gangmembers were going to come to our home. I told him we were weren't running from nothing, that God would protect us. He was just going to have to trust God. He was very afraid for awhile and was always looking out the window. He went through depression and anger. It was very hard to see him struggling. Still, he didn't want anything to do with God. Two of the guys were suppossedly his friends. One he grew up in church with. Drugs still had a hold on him. I had found this journal called Keep calm and carry on. That became my slogan up until this day. The Lord told me the battle was not over, and a storm just lay up ahead. Three months later, my son began to pace in the house again. He kept talking to the wrong people and started selling drugs again and taking drugs from anyone walking down the street. I got a call one day from the police department from another county about something he had done while staying with my mother. He had thrown a rock through an abandoned house while another friend vandalized the house. Felony charge. He was placed on deferred probation for six months, community service and 900 in restitution. In less than one month, he failed the drug test and was put in juvenile detention. While there, he told them he had a drug problem and was sent to a drug rehab an hour and a half away for 2 months. Before leaving, we went on a youth trip and gave his life to God and was filled with the Holy Ghost. I knew he'd be o.k. I went every Saturday to see him with friends and family at my side. Still, I kept hearing Keep calm and carry on. What peace that brought to me. My son is home now and he's been drug free for 2 months now. We still have issues to deal with. He has only a few weeks left of probation. Right now as I'm writing this, a young lady has declared that he may be the father of her child. So, we're going through the process of finding out. I don't know what all lies up ahead. One thing I do know without a shadow of a doubt, is God is in control. I just want to encourage all you parents out there, Keep calm and carry on. No matter what, don't give up on God or your child or children. Jesus will lead you and guide you every step of the way. He'll prepare you ahead of time even when you don't know what it is. There may not be a whole lot of people at your side, but if you can just find one or two faithful people to agree with you and pray with you, that's all you need. Wherever 2 or 3 are gathered together in his name, He is there in the midst. Every trial this year since that terrible night, if I start feeling the least bit anxious or afraid, I hear the Lord reminding me Keep calm and carry on.
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This is an amazing story. I'm sorry you had to go through all that. And yes, I can relate to some extent. Probably most parents can. Thanks, because it does encourage me.
Thanks for this...amen.
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