I don’t know how your early morning started but mine was a bit dramatic and somehow a frustrating one and I will tell you why.

So, I was running around to make it to our kids’ school before the door closes. And when I went downstairs and I heard some cheering and laughter. While I was setting up my tea, I realized that today is April Fool’s Day.

I mean, I heard them saying it and who would believe me if I said “they tricked me anyways”? Yes, they did, and not once, not twice but three times.

My little one, the one who always takes his mama’s side, started it by saying, “Mom, you know you forgot to pray for me yesterday”.

I said, “I know, I’m so sorry, I was caught up with something and by the time I was thinking of coming and praying for you, it was too late.”

And with a very sad face, he said, “I know, and I was waiting for you, hanging on my bed, and I fell asleep in that position for the whole night waiting for you.”

Oh, my gosh, I felt really bad. I said, “Oh, my, please forgive me; I’m so sorry – – -” and he started chuckling and said, “April Fool’s Day, mom.”

Without any exaggeration, they fooled me three times like that within five to ten minutes time frame. I was not happy, I can tell you that. I mean this is the day when you will identify the fools from your circle. And does anyone argue to pick who the fool is from Banko’s family? Nah!

By that time, smoke was coming out of my nose (I mean figuratively, lol). While I was putting on my shoes to go out, though I thought of something to make them all pay for it.

Tuesday is the busiest day for all the Banko’s. Our little one has soccer practice he prefers to die than missing. Our daughter has soccer game (sometimes practice) and she has no way of coming home unless I pick her up from the game. Our oldest has a very important meeting right after his class. This is a Christian students meeting where they mingle, eat, talk and laugh and pray together. He doesn’t like to miss it but if I can’t pick him up, he has to miss it.

Not only that but he has a Bible study at the U-turn high school students fellowship (if you guys know anyone who lives in America or Canada and is a high school student, please tell them about this U-turn program for high school students – a fantastic Bible study program – most American churches adopt the program).

So, for our son, the Tuesday fellowship is the highlight of his week. They have food (the kind I won’t allow him to eat) and “video games” (talk about fun), with people of same age and same moral standard values. And they have a fantastic Bible study intertwined with all the fun. He will sacrifice anything to not miss his Tuesday night meetings. And if his mama can’t drop and pick him up, he can’t go. Just simple!

My hubby, who didn’t trick me in the morning, has to be included with the pack because if I try to save him, they will figure out that I am up to something.

My poor hubby, if I can’t transport the Banko’s after 3pm, he has to figure out a way to do it himself or find someone to do it for him and to find someone is closer to impossible with a late notice. His work usually gets very busy after 3pm and sometimes it runs over to our evening hours. That mean it is imperative for me to be at their service so that their Tuesday program will go smoothly.

So, I put my shoes and I ran back to the kitchen. All of them were in the kitchen finishing up their breakfast. I rushed to my laptop looking panicky. And my poor husband wanted to know so that he could help me. I said, looking like ready to cry, oh, my gosh, I have class I need to take for my license and I have to be there at 4pm. I’m so sorry guys for not telling you this earlier.

I’m not exaggerating, four of them looked terrified and four of them, at the same time, start asking me questions like, “What time will you be done?” “Is there any way you can – – -”, “Oh, no – – -”, “What am I going to do? – – -”

And I couldn’t hold it that long because I burst into laughter. I said, proudly, dancing, “April Fool’s Day”.

I can’t tell you how satisfying that was. I got them real good! Talk about getting even, this broke the record. Our two teenagers were not happy at all. But our little one said, laughing, “Oh, Mom, that was a good one” and finished it with a sigh of relief.

And I turned around and started going out and our oldest son said, “Mom, you will pay for this.”

Let me tell you, if teenagers say something like that, they will do it, don’t ever doubt. I learned that from experience. He took away all my excitements within a second. Remember, teens usually don’t have mercy, again, I learned that from experience.

Well, now talk about being “sober”, I’m in the most heightened and alert mode I can be. No phone calls or emails pass through my scrutiny, thinking if they are from my son who is out there to get me. And the funny thing for our kids is this: I forget this thing. Unless I have a constant reminder, I will fall for any trick. And from my past experience, our oldest son can fake anything, from sleeping to bleeding to death. Yeah, he is good at it and I don’t like it.

I am now constantly reminding myself that my son is out there to text or make a phone call to terrorize me and I constantly think how he can get me so that I won’t fall for it. I’m thinking of all his past tricks he used to make me look nothing but a FOOL.

And few minutes ago, while I was cleaning up my kitchen, being as sober as I could be, this thought came to my mind.

What if I am this sober regarding the trick and traps of my enemy who is ALWAYS out there to get me? What if I was this sober about the coming of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Then I thought of these Bible verses:

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. – – – ” 2 Peter 3:10

Wow, had I have such a mindset for these two important spiritual facts and truth, I would have lived my life differently. Satan wouldn’t have gotten an opportunity to fool me many times.

I’m not so much sober about the devil “prowling” around me that I find myself falling for his similar and identical tricks, every time he uses them.

“Why do you care about the house of God? Nobody does. You will burn out. Just concentrate on your own busy life.”

“You are too young to be busy with the work of God now. You will do it when you turn 60 or 70. Then you will have all the time you want.”

Wow, endless!

Yes, our enemy is always around us to see how he can devour us; how he can paralyze us so that we won’t contribute to the Kingdom of God. He tricks us, “You are busy already; God knows if you don’t pray and read your Bible. He knows you are spent. Go to sleep now. You will pray tomorrow morning.”

“Forget coming out of porn addiction. Nobody did and God knows you can’t. So why bother?”

And, not only be sober about my enemy but what kind of life would I have lived, had I have also known and believed that Jesus Christ is coming soon, like a thief?

I would have taken my devotional times seriously; I would have witnessed about the love of Christ to those whom I meet in a daily basis; I would have let go of those hurts and pains inflicted by others instead of harboring them in my heart; I would have been more loving to the poor and sick; and I would have served God with all my soul, heart and mind, etc.

“Jesus is coming soon – – -”. Who talks about that? I mean, after all, that is not attractive message. And who will listen to it today? It doesn’t entertain anyone. All the signs of His coming Jesus prophesied are passing before our naked eyes but we are too busy and occupied with collecting toys of this world (toys we can’t take when we depart from this life); making money so that we can be better than our own brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus is coming soon? Nah, this message doesn’t fit to the Twenty First Century lifestyle.

But the truth stays the same whether we accept it or reject it. Devil will always go around us, seeking how and when to devour us. And Jesus won’t come after He gives a 30 second commercial that runs on all multimedia and social networking sites. He will come like a thief.

So, here is the message for today then: Let’s be sober and alert so that we won’t be tricked by our enemy today. He is using all those “same old same old” tricks on us. Let’s be alert and let’s fool him instead of him fooling us every day. Let’s wait for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ with an expecting heart and mind so that our pains and sufferings will be light for us to carry. You see, when we fix our eyes on His coming and what that day is going to be for us, we let go of the earthly things so that we hold on to the heavenly treasures. When we expectantly wait for His coming, we set our hearts on things which are in heaven (Colossians 3:1-4). Let’s be sober, alert and radical so that we can redeem our days! ///

P. S. Wish me luck so that I won’t fall for my son’s tricks. They are not cool ones, at least for me. ///