Ann

I went to a church service tonight at the Salvation Army Chapel in the program that my son is doing. It is in a bad area of the city, but is a terrific program. There is a shelter next door, and a few from the shelter were at the service too.

Anyway, as I looked around the chapel at the men, young and not as young, something very strange happened. I saw all our sons, and a few daughters too. I saw Josie's boys, MG's son, JT's son, and the sons and daughters of all of you moms here. I saw something that we have all seen in our sons - hope.

They were pretty clean, many of them in the Walmart jackets that we bought them to keep them warm this winter. They all wore battlescars of pain and desperation, and they were singing their hearts out and praying from the bottom of their souls.

I wanted to hug each one of them and say "I know your mother", because even though I may never have met their mothers, indeed I do "know" them.

The final hymn was "Amazing Grace" and when they got to the verse "through many danger, toils and snares, I have already come...'twas Grace that saw me safe thus far, and Grace will lead me home", I felt this HUGE lump in my throat because I truly believe that is the Grace of God that has kept our children alive and that His Grace can lean them home.

And I walked out of there even more convinced that God loves every addict and has special angels to watch over each one of them.

Just had to share this - it made my night beautiful and thought you might like to know that your boys were in church, at least in spirit.