Today I am welcoming my friend, Darla Grieco, to our chat. Darla and I became friends through an online conference and have become better acquainted through accountability over the last year. I am thrilled for her to share her story with us today. I hope you'll be encouraged by this wonderful message!
From Darla:
My cell buzzed with an incoming text message:
(Son) Are you stalking me yet? (Me) No, why? (Me) Should I be? (Me) Are you doing something naughty? (Son) Geez. I was just wondering!
This little exchange occurred the first time my 12 year old son traveled an hour and a half away on a field trip, a few short days after receiving his first cellphone.
Over the months and years prior to this day, my son watched me time and again as I checked in on his three older siblings, or as my children refer to it, stalking them.
Do I hover? No.
Do I check on their blinking blue dot on my phone app to see their whereabouts from time to time? You bet! (In my defense, it’s not always easy letting your new drivers head out on the road with their freshly acquired driver’s license during the western Pennsylvania snowy season.)
So, yes, I confess that I watch the blinking dots of my loved ones until that dot approaches the street where we reside. Then and only then, can this mama bear breathe a sigh of relief.
I’ve often thought this behavior was frowned upon by my children. However, the small little exchange I had with my youngest son that day made me realize that although my children might act like I’m overbearing, they appreciate the love of a mother who cares and watches out for them. And in this case, they may also experience a slight twinge of sadness when they realize that I am not paying attention to their whereabouts.
I’m not sure about you, but I’m forever grateful for knowing that our Father God never quits watching over us. I use to think this wasn’t the case. There were seasons of my life that God felt far from me. Through the years though, I’ve learned we cannot always trust our feelings.
Because now, years later, when I reflect on some of the circumstances I faced or the trials I endured in those seasons, I can clearly see that God was always with me, watching and waiting. Even in my moments of stubbornness, he remained present, protecting me.
I’ll admit I get busy and forget to check on those little blue blinking dots on my phone screen, but God doesn’t take his focus off of us.
He is always watching over you. Always waiting until you turn down the street to come home.
You can trust him.
A little more about Darla:
In the past, Darla Grieco has published in Guideposts: Angels on Earth magazine and in various Chicken Soup for the Soul editions. Several of her devotionals will appear this spring in a book titled Whit, Whimsy & Wisdom and one of her short stories will appear in the soon-to-be released, Life, Repurposed. You can connect with Darla on her website at dsgrieco.com or join her on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
Links: My website: https://dsgrieco.com Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/dsgriecowriter/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/dsgrieco?lang=en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alonglifesjourney/
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