The other day, I thought about when my mom told me how God protected me on a school field trip. My first-grade teacher, Mrs. Schuneman (can’t remember how to spell her name), always took our class on various field trips—we had a tour of a firehouse, saw a performance at a theater, went to a pumpkin farm, etc.

One day, we went on a field trip to a forest preserve or park; my mother also came along because she enjoyed the field trips as well. She knew that I wanted to be on my own, but she sensed that she needed to be there with me that day (I was six or seven years old at the time). At one point, she watched me run around and play with the other kids and noticed that a man had started following me around the park. My mom said that a quiet, still voice came to her mind: Go get her! At first, my mom hesitated because she didn’t want to seem overprotective and wanted me to enjoy being around the other kids. The voice came to her mind again and it was a little louder: GO GET HER! My mom came over to me and kept me close to her; she had an uneasy feeling after that.

We both believe the voice that my mom heard was God warning her to come get me. Psalm 16:7 says: “I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.” God is always guiding us in order to keep us safe; it’s up to us to heed the warnings that He gives us. I thought it was amazing that He was watching over me and protecting me when I was a small child. At that age, I had no idea what it meant to have a relationship with Jesus Christ but since my mother and grandmother shared their experiences about how God helped them, I believed in Him. There’s no telling what would’ve happened to me if that man would’ve kidnapped me; I probably wouldn’t be here today. It’s a shame that there are people prowling around with the intent to harm a child who can’t defend themselves. Although I don’t remember this experience, I thank God for protecting me that day and I am grateful to my mom for not ignoring the warning that He gave her.