Say What?

A good friend of mine once told me that when her son was little she started praying for his future spouse.  I had never heard of doing this before.  I liked the idea, but put it in the back corner of my mind.  Until recently.

I was in a department store shopping for the kid's back to school clothes.  While I was with the boys outside the dressing room there was a family of four there - a mom, a dad, a son who I'm guessing was about 15, and a daughter around age 12.  The son was trying on suits and his mom was helping him figure out best fit, best style, etc.  They had decided on a particular suit and the mom said, "Ok, go take your pants off."  The son's reply,

 "You're not the first girl to ever say that to me."

It was at this point I looked up, anxiously anticipating being able to witness the dad slap his kid upside the head for the remark he just made.  Only, he didn't.  In fact,  he not only didn't reprimand his son but said,

"Was it Julie?"

Did I hear that right? Did that dad just let his son get away with disrespecting his mother?  Did he practically "high five" his son for speaking such trash talk?  I know it's wrong to judge, but c'mon.  Is this what we're up against?  I think my job just got a lot harder.  I thought the evils of TV, movies, and social media were going to be my biggest challenge.  But I guess sometimes it might just be dopey parents.

So, thank you my friend.  I will indeed start praying for my children's future spouses.  I will pray that the Holy Spirit will keep them safe from harm, both physically and spiritually.

HOLY FAMILY OF NAZARETH, make our family one with you. Help us to be instruments of peace. Grant that love, strengthened by grace, may prove mightier than all the weaknesses and trials through which our families sometimes pass. May we always have God at the center of our hearts and homes until we are all one family, happy and at peace in our true home with you. Amen.