On Eagle's Wings

Refrain

And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,

Bear you on the breath of dawn,

Make you to shine like the sun,

And hold you in the palm of His Hand.

Newborn and fragile, the beautiful infant girl was being stalked by a woman who had been hanging around the hospital. In a moment, the woman swooped into the baby's mom's room. Acting and dressed like a nurse, she told the new mommy that it was time to return the baby to the nursery. She carefully took the infant from her mommy. She craddled the baby with care. She exited the mommy's room. Then she exited the hospital...infant in hand.

He returned from his run-three miles today. Bravo! Body in good shape...the best of his life. He was a fairly new graduate of the FBI Academy in Quantico. He called home while he was away. Happier than he had been in his life. "I'm not making the cut on the shooting range, though." He said. Then he described how the instructor got him through the nerves. After the nerves faded, he qualified as an "expert" with a gun. He made it and was assigned to a Missouri city's bureau...He wasn't even 30, but he realized his dream.

It was time to feed her baby, so the new mommy beeped the nurses station. She waited patiently for the nurse to bring her beautiful daughter in. She prayed and thanked God for her baby's health. All ten fingers. All ten toes. A true bundle of joy. She buzzed the nurses' station again..."Where's my baby?"

A nurse enters the room, but doesn't have the baby. The nurse scans the room, smiles nervously and then exits. The supervising nurse enters with a member of hospital security. Your baby is missing. What?????? Yes, your baby is missing. The police are on the way.

He is just exiting the shower when he hears his pager. He wraps a towel around his waist, checks the number and calls his office. Urgently needed at the office; he says he's on his way.

The baby girl is crying. The fake nurse pulls into a retail store parking lot. They go inside and get bottles and formula. Baby is fussy, but finally begins to drink; she's too hungry to deny the food even though it isn't mommy's milk.

The woman has called her husband. "I had the baby." He says he will be there as quickly as possible. They are going to take their baby home.

He gets to the office and is assigned a partner. They are looking for a woman who kidnapped a baby from a hospital. They begin their search along with 100 other agents. After many hours, they come upon a car that matches the description of the one that the woman left the hospital in. The description was taken from security tapes at the hospital.

He and his partner pull along side the car. There is a blanket in the backseat of the car. His heart is pounding. They drop back and pull behind the car. They follow it for a while and "run the plates." No outstanding wants or warrants. They look at each other and decide to pull the driver over.

Hello. Would you, please step out of your car? Why? Just please exit your car. The driver gets out. His partner stays with the driver. The passenger is alarmed, but doesn't make trouble. He opens the back car door. He reaches for the blanket. It unfurls as he begins to pull on it. It is empty.

Meanwhile on the other side of the state, the car is found parked in the driveway. The baby is found safe and sound and in good health. Five agents take the couple into custody. The baby is cradled and taken to a vehicle. Come on, Sweet Heart. Let's get you home.

The reunion is a happy one for mommy and baby. They both cry for different reasons. Mommy puts baby to her breast and baby eats greedily, happily, peacefully.

He returns to the office. This is the best day of his life. He didn't find the baby, but she was found and he is happy. Later, he watches the reunion of mommy and daughter on t.v. like most of the country. He is happy. This is the life. Yes, this is the life.

He called us and told us the story of the kidnapping and how good it felt to be part of the rescue effort. No, he didn't find her, but they found her. This is a dream come true. He said, "I'm making a difference." We smiled as he said this. We knew that he had been searching for his meaning for so long.

Two months later, he doesn't arrive at work. Agents go looking for him. They find him lying in his own blood. They call an ambulance, but they know that it is too late. The bullet found its mark. There was nothing that could be done. They are shaken up. It isn't easy finding one of your own. They call their supervisor. Someone will have to call his family.

I am seven months pregnant and dressed in black for the funeral. I burst into tears as I hug his mom. I pull it together and then hug his sister and fall apart all over again. Some how it is worse hugging his dad. It hurts more hugging his dad who is trying not to cry, but his body becomes racked with sobs anyway. Our baby will never know him. He will never hold her. She will never look into his eyes, but I swear she will know him. She will know all about him.

He is our angel, now. He watches over us. When ever we hear of a kidnapping or a story of the FBI, we think of him. We know he is there helping, watching, making a difference. God, how we miss him.