Kidnap For Ransom

We are now 8 days away from the boards. We are feeling the weight of the pressure. There have been thoughts of quitting. Prayers are now said more fervent than ever. Some have started developing symptoms of despair. In my case, I am almost in the brink of losing my mind. Some are deciding to go home at least for a day and just re-energize. I am tempted to go home myself. I miss my family. I miss my children. I miss my less-than-complicated life.

No matter what and how I study the past few days, nothing is getting inside my head. All I am doing now is just reading and reading. I don't know how much I am soaking in. My prayers are trying to compensate for what my physical strength lacks. Every 3 pm I am lighting a candle before the image of Mother Guadalupe in our makeshift altar inside the room. Eight days to go and as early as now I am having butterflies in my stomach.

While going over old text messages in my cellphone, I went over a text message sent by a friend. It's a story about a young boy and how he prayed for something he really really wanted.

The young boy went inside a church and knelt before the altar and prayed, "Lord God, I want a bike please. Please give me a bike." Full of faith he waited the next day for a bike but no bike came. So the following day he went back to the church again and prayed the same prayer, "Lord God, I want a bike. Please give me a bike." But the following day, no bike came. For the third time, he went back to the church and prayed the same prayer. However, the following day came but still no bike.

The next day came and the priest went early to church and was surprised at what he saw. The priest found that the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary was missing! On its usual place instead was an envelop and inside the envelop was a letter and it read, "To God: If You still want to see Your Mother, Give me the bike now."

Lord, may you grant me the same persevering prayer with that of this child. Amen.