Listen

the spirit saves. 

it saved me last week, yesterday, and about 45 minutes ago.

it also saved my tender little nine year old life one rebellious night.

a cousin of mine and one of my older brother's were feeling incredibly adventurous 

and decided to have a little campout in my small backyard. apparently, my underground tramp and swingsets just wasn't enough to entertain our giddy little selves, because the words "let's go to 7-11!" was tossed around. (i live about a two blocks from 7-11)

I remember the feeling when my cousin said those words. I suddenly became consumed in fear and I shook my head repeatedly. 

"come on! don't be a baby!"

"it will be fast and mom and dad won't know!"

"you're dumb and you're a chicken."

I, being the youngest, gave into this absurd peer pressure. I hurriedly threw on my tiny shoes and tiptoed out of my yard along with the others.

it was probably near two in the morning or so. 

us trio of tiny bandits arrived to 7-11 and out of the corner of my eye, i remember seeing

a white car gassing up. I looked over my shoulder and saw two grown men, pointing towards me with evil grins. even though i was only on the earth for nine years, i knew they were evil. 

they were dark.

they were scary.

they were the bad stranger men mommy and daddy had always warned me about.

we went inside and i remember clinging to my brother, trying to explain to him that bad men

were waiting and watching me. he shewed me away like a fly and kept on whatever his 12 year old self was doing. 

I peered out the window from inside and saw the men were done gassing up. they were coming.

I distinctively remember standing inside that 7-11 with a paralyzed body and a racing mind. to this day, I am incredibly impressed at how at that little age of 9, Heavenly Father gave me so many warnings and could so physically communicate with me. I knew I was going to be taken, and I knew I was going to be okay.

I remember taking deep breaths and lecturing myself before my captors arrived.

"you're going to be okay lu. be a good girl like mommy and daddy say you are and

they wont hurt you." 

before I could even mumble another little child's prayer, I looked up and saw my mother's black expedition pull in like nobody's business. how? how was this even possible? I ran out and threw myself into the car. I was safe. I was saved.

talking about it years later with my sweet mother, this experience is much more sweeter, much more incredible. 

she was laying in bed and in her sleep she clearly heard : "The kids. Lucia. GO!"

she hadn't even bothered to wake my father, nor did she bother to scope out our little campgroud. she drove STRAIGHT to 7-11. I asked her what she thinks would have happened if she would have just rolled over and ignored the voice. we both knew the answer: that i would have been taken. 

the spirit is incredibly vital. I am forever grateful for a mother who is always so in tune, and who cherishes it. the spirit truly saves -- whether it be the simplest of simple promptings, it is still a prompting from the One who knows better. listen.