We found the perfect little family church for us and started attending regularly. Church became a place of refuge and peace for me. The first time we had to miss church, I asked my husband if God would be mad. He laughed. “No, going to church isn’t about fulfilling an obligation to God, it’s about filling your soul with God.” I was hooked.
I started looking forward to attending church. We prayed before every meal. I sang along with the congregation. I programmed every Christian station on the radio and memorized these amazing comforting songs. I bought myself a woman’s bible and took notes. I started praying with friends and family. I started thanking God for all the blessings and goodness he had brought into our lives. When we hit a bump on the road, I thanked Him because I knew he would get us through it and make us stronger because of it. God became the center of our lives.
Every single morning, on my way to work, I prayed that He watch over my children. I prayed that He protect them, kept them safe and let no harm come to them. When my husband and I prayed before bedtime, I always ended my prayers the same way. “Please watch over my babies, especially Joey. Joey seemed to always need more prayers than my other two. I used to say that someone gave him the evil eye when he was a baby because he was so darn cute.
“Keep them safe. Let no harm come to them and if they start going astray, lead them back to you.”