Stranger Danger

This past weekend, my husband and I went to Cancun on a more business than pleasure trip. We left our children at home with my mother. In other words, they were in good hands in our absence. It was a brief trip. For some odd reason, I requested prayer from my Bible study Leadership team and my Moms In Touch group. They are prayer warriors but I tend not to make lots of public requests. I asked them to pray for my children's safety and a good time to be had with their grandmother, whom they don't see enough.

Well I thank God that I lifted the requests. On Friday, my son, a 5th grader, was walking to school alone. Our house is less than 500 feet from the school but you have to walk to the end of the street which is a cul-de-sac and then over a hill and you are in the school parking lot. He noticed a car sitting in the cul-de-sac. As he approached, a Caucasian male in his 20s in a bronze car asked him if he needed a ride and told him to get in the car. He said, "No!" and ran away. He immediately went to his teacher and told her what happened. The local police were notified and a report was made. All adults involved made sure my son was okay and commended him for handling the situation properly.

If you know my son, he is very laid back. He is not a fan of too much attention. Needless to say that we have tightened the reins on him and he is not happy. C'est la vie! My point in all of this is that God knew all of of this would occur. The outcome could have been much worse. Don't be afraid to pray nor should you be afraid to ask for prayer. I don't have any problems making prayer requests but I tend to be private and not put too much out there. I don't know why I felt led to make a requests. Well, let's change that. The Holy Spirit prompted me to do it and I was obedient. The effective, fervent prayer of the righteous man avails much. (ref. James 5:16, NKJV) God hears and He protects.

Make sure your children know how to handle such occurrences. My son can NEVER walk alone again. He, of course, thinks we are crazy. Gotta love fearless children. Teach your children about being aware of their surroundings and what to do if a stranger approaches them. I commended my son that he ran over the hill to school instead of coming back home. Also, he was praised for having a good description of the person in the car. He does have a cell phone with a locator. He said he felt scared but he knew what to do and he knew he could run fast. Again, childlike naivete. I know God was in the details and I know prayers matter. If you have praying people in your circle, utilize them! Thanking God that my son is safe and also thanking God for His sovereignty.

Copyright October 6, 2011 by Pamela Cole Thorpe