FAITH FOROUR SONS

A TRIBUTE TO THE SONS WE'VE LOST +

A SINGLE MOM'S JOURNEY OF LOSS & FAITH

One can only imagine the heartbreak that the mothers of Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Jordan Davis, Antwan Rose, Michael Brown, Jordan Edwards, and Christian Taylor felt when they received news that their son's life had been taken from them. Oftentimes when we hear their names it invokes a level of fear and worry as the thoughts become “What about my son?” We at Purposed Magazine want to use this space to acknowledge and pay tribute to the lives of these sons and provide encouragement to moms everywhere to continue to have Faith For Our Sons.

For Nicola Smith, that reality became true for her when she lost her 19-year-old son, Alexander ‘AJ’ Marion, at the hands of the police She recalls the moments that led up to her son ’ s passing and the moment the officers stopped by her home to recount the details of their encounter with her son

On September 19, 2013, Alexander, or AJ as he was known by his family, left his mother’s home to never return The events that led to his death started to unfold the day before which is the last time she recalls talking to her son. On September 18, 2013, at 11:28 pm, AJ called his mother, and his last words to her were “Mama, you know, I understand what you meant now. ” Nicola had the thought that something she had taught her son throughout his life had finally sunk in for him. However, when she went to sleep that night, she didn’t imagine that would be the last time she spoke to her son

Around 7:30 on the morning of the 19th, Nicola was awakened by what she thought was the sound of her doorbell. She dismissed the notion and went about her Sunday activities including going to church After leaving church, a family member inquired about the whereabouts of AJ and if Nicola had spoken to him that day. She said she hadn’t but continued to try reaching him by phone throughout the day. Once Nicola returned home, she received a call from her brother, an Asheville police officer, who insisted on coming to her home to visit She had watched a news report earlier in the day which stated that someone had recently been killed on a major highway in North Carolina About 15-20 minutes later, her brother arrives at her home with additional officers in tow. It was at that moment that Nicola feared the worst about her son as she screamed the words “NO!” Nicola later learns that her son led police officers on a chase through various neighborhoods before the officers shot and killed her son

Nicola’s life had been turned upside down by the passing of her oldest son, however, she knew that she had to press through in order to continue to provide for her three younger children.A year after AJ passing, Nicola made the choice to relocate from their hometown in North Carolina to Atlanta, GA. Battling with depression and thoughts of suicide, Nicola had no choice but to turn to God to continue to be there for her children.

After getting settled in Atlanta, Nicola was invited to a church, The Faith Center, by a neighbor. She says that it was being in a true faith environment that taught you how to invite God into every area of your life that reignited her faith in God As a mother who lost a son tragically, Nicola adamantly states that it was because of her faith in God - the one who has the final say so - that gave her the strength to raise three healthy, successful children.

As she’s approaching the 10-year anniversary of her son ’ s passing, her words of encouragement to other single moms who live in fear of this harrowing reality: His word tells us that He did not give us the spirit of fear, but He gave us the spirit of love and a sound mind. Our faith can’t be rooted in the temporary things of this world, they can only be anchored in the promises that God has given us.