Sick feeling

Friday nights our family usually attends the high school football game that one of my children attends and is in the color guard for our band. She truly has blossomed into it. This dad has noticed that his first baby is finally growing up. She has to wear make up and put her hair into a braided bun. She is truly gorgeous and 100% woman. BUT DON'T TELL HER THAT. Dad is learning how to let go but still directing her "in the way she should go".

Now to back to the main title of this story. We are doing our regular thing at a football game, sitting with family or friends. This night it was just friends. Let me tell you it was a good night for football. A weather front had finally pushed through and it allowed for lower temperatures and an OMINOUS fog. You could hardly see to the other side of the field. Our son, who is still in middle school, was to spend the night after the game with another child his age that is the son of a particular family that goes to church with us. During the game we let our kids go to certain areas surrounding the field but they have to come back and check in with us periodically letting us know where they are and who they are hanging around with. Our other daughter who is also in middle school was hanging out with her friend that she was going to spend the night with. We all had decided to leave after the 3rd quarter but throughout the whole game our son and the kid of our friends that our son was spending the night with kept coming back to check in with us but separately. I knew that something was up with them NOT showing up together to check in. So it was time to leave but none of our kids where back except for one of the other family's son who remembered what time his family was going to leave. The whole time this dad was growing in trusting his kids to do the right things. You know, do the right things and the right things will happen. (At the end of the 3rd quarter. The ominous fog had gotten worse and you could hardly see the players on the field.) So we all got up to leave and headed towards the end of the stadium and go back behind the bleachers where "all the action is" to find the kids. The family that our son was spending the night with showed up all of a sudden but without our son. My wife and I did not panic at this point. We circled around the bleachers to the other end of the stadium past the bathrooms and the concession stand and to the other end and no sign of our son. My wife and the friends that my son was spending the night with that wife and I split up, both of them walked up to the bleachers and walked down the pathway in front and my other daughter and I walked around the back side again and met back up with the other women. NO SON. I PANICKED ON THE INSIDE. By then the WHOLE set of friends decided to help out and look everywhere. I leaned up to my wife and said "go find a sheriff's deputy." (Keep in mind now I still can't walk well from back injury and surgeries and I do not like walking around a lot of people and steps for fear of falling. If I fall and land on my injury area the Dr. told me we would have a high probability that we would have to do surgery again. So my wife has to do the "simple things like steps and crowds." A role I do not like but have no choice.) She went to find one and did out on the track around the field. She proceeded down out of the bleachers down to the track to get him and she sees some kids playing in a grass area behind the field goal. Wham! Their is our son. My wife calls me on my cell phone to let me know and tells me. The whole time dad is very sick feeling. Relieved to find our son but upset. By this time all the friends and families are back together and relieved that everything turned out. We all left and while in the car Dad is relieved but again has to explain why we check in with family. You always are seeing headlines of missing children and what goes on with and as you all know what happens in the end. For the most part the children wind up dead and no telling what they went through physically and emotionally. Our son had to explain to us why and he said "so ya'll won't worry about me and that someone does not take me away." Wisdom from a 12 year old.

Everyone that knows me I will have to tell you, I was extremely angry BUT did not blow up. Shocker huh. If there is anything I teach and have taught my kids is about what could happen to them. Forget about what mom and dad may fell but think about what could happen to you. (You being the kids.) I believe kids should have fun but they have to remember at all times there could be someone lurking ready to take them away, just like the devil huh. (1 Peter 5:8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.)

In the end everything works out OK. When we got home, my wife and I talked about it. That sick feeling!