Please pray for our son Michael

[Byblos]

Hi all,

Under normal circumstances my wife and I are intensely private people but we find ourselves in need of the prayers of our family and friends. We've been having a lot of problems with our son Michael (15), nothing big at first, just acting out, lying about homework and cutting classes, losing things like his lunch money, then having to borrow from others, etc. A couple of weeks ago his lying reached a new height when he told everyone in school his grandmother died (both are alive and well). After meeting with his teachers and counselor we thought it was just a cry for attention and some additional therapy is in order, which we did.

As it turned out it was a cry for attention but he was seeking it for a much bigger problem he couldn't handle on his own. It seems a couple of his so-called friends have been extorting money from him for several months (they're older, 16 & 17). Those are friends whom we invited into our home and whom Michael slept at their house. It seems they have also been physically abusing him by hitting him, in school by constantly hitting him on the head, at their homes by tying him to a bed post and hitting him with a belt. We found out there have been several instances where they pinned him to the floor and jumped on top of him to simulate a sex act though no clothes were taken off. My wife and I just could not bear to listen any more but we had to get to the bottom of it to make sure Michael is not making all this up. We did get corroboration from several of his other classmates so we decided to go to the police. We agonized a great deal about going to the authorities knowing full well what the ramifications are for these young men, that their lives will never be the same again. But we were left with no other choice, our first priority is to the well being of our son and possibly others.

Please keep the 2 individuals that will be arrested tomorrow and their parents in your prayers. I would not want to be in their shoes. Also please keep Michael in your prayers as well, so the good Lord will grant him His graces to overcome this ordeal relatively unscathed.

Thank you and God bless.

[cslewislover]

This is so awful and must be so so hard for you and your family. I will pray for you all, and the other families too.

[B. W.]

Byblos those kid's attack on your child is considered an assault — sexual assault. You can prosecute. After working in the Criminal Justice field all these years and working with Sex offenders — that behavior is classic of sex offenders when they are juveniles.

We'll pray for you and you family and I'll pray for you to have some moxey and wisdom in wielding it against these clowns. This is serious stuff. May the Lord protect your son and your entire family!
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[catherine]

My prayers are with you and those concerned.

[zoegirl]

wow, prayers sent

[Byblos]

Thank you all for your prayers. It is very comforting to know we can rely on one another.

I received an e-mail from a friend today (who had no clue of the problems we're having). The e-mail contained a series of images, several people carrying their crosses and treading along the path. One of them stops and begs God to let him cut a piece of his cross to make it a little lighter to bear and so he did. A short while later he asks God again if he could cut another piece to make his cross a little more lighter and so he did and was able to continue much more comfortably.

They all come up on a divide. To continue, all the others were able to put down their crosses and use them as bridges, except of course the one who had cut his cross short. The caption on the bottom reads:

God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.

I thought to myself, wow! what an appropriate time to receive such an inspirational message. I am so thankful to the Lord for it.

This poem was also included. I thought I'd share it too:

We complain about the cross we bear but don' t realize

it is preparing us for the dip in the road that God can see and we can't.

Whatever your cross, whatever your pain,

there will always be sunshine, after the rain....

Perhaps you may stumble, perhaps even fall;

But God's always ready, to answer your call....

He knows every heartache, sees every tear,

a word from His lips, can calm every fear...

Your sorrows may linger, throughout the night,

But suddenly vanish, dawn's early light...

The Savior is waiting, somewhere above,

to give you His grace, and send you His love...

[cslewislover]

Thanks for sharing that. It's good to meditate on. Please let us know how you all are doing as things progress, and I'll keep praying, too.