"Gan-mamma! Gan-mamma!"

Our little two-and-a-half-year-old granddaughter spent Saturday afternoon and night with us. She is the liveliest and sweetest thing! I put on a CD of a Southern Gospel group ,The Perry's , while we were in the kitchen fixing supper. When an up-beat song came on, she came to me with outstretched arms and said, "Dance!" She held one of my hands and then instructed me to get hold of one side of my skirt and hold it out to my side while she proceeded to bounce around in front of me "dancing". I think she has seen some kind of ballroom dancing on her Shirley Temple movies or something! ha


She loves to sing and has learned a new song to sing while her Granddaddy pulls her in the wagon all around the farm. It goes...."Bumping up and down in my little red wagon.....having so much fun!" Even though I had sprayed her with something to keep the mosquitoes off they were so bad B. had to bring her in quicker than she wanted. I didn't see any bites so that was good.


When bedtime came I decided to lie on the bed beside her for a little bit until she went to sleep. That "little bit" turned into well over an hour! :) She would take the sheet and cover me up from head to foot and pat it down and then scoot over to the other side of the bed and try to quietly slip onto the floor. It was so funny. I would get her back in bed and tell her it was time to go nite-nite. Finally I asked if she wanted "Gan-mamma" to tell her some stories. Of course I got a "Yes, please!" and an immediately "still as could be" little girl. I told her the first stories that popped into my mind....Goldilocks and the Three Bears....and The Three Little Pigs. It wasn't long then until she turned on her tummy with her knees pulled up under her and was fast asleep. I got up and went and climbed in my own bed near midnight and slept soundly until about 5:00 a.m. when I awoke with a start hearing a little voice "hollering"......"GAN-MAMMA!!!!....GAN-MAMMA!" ( to those of you not from the South, "hollering" means using your voice at its loudest capacity!) I could hear the little pitter-patter of her feet accompanying the loud "Gan-mamma!" Immediately I jumped out of the bed and started answering her with, "Here I am!....Here I am!" I ran into the living room and could see her running from the bathroom (where I had left a small light on) into the hall and back into the bathroom calling for me. Something in my heart just did a flip-flop! I felt I could not get to her fast enough! I wanted to calm her fears and let her know I was there! I scooped her up, wrapped my arms around her and held her tight for a few minutes and told her everything was going to be all right. After comforting her for a few minutes she grew sleepy again. I put her back to bed and she was fine. I got into my bed but couldn't go back to sleep for a while. As I lay there it was like a door was opened in my mind. A comparison that I had never seen before. I thought....."Lord...I think I've just understood a little bit of what You feel when one of Your children is frightened or in need. When I call out to you, 'Abba...Abba...Father!'....I can just imagine you immediately calling to me...'Here I am!...Here I am!'....and running as fast as You can to scoop me up and wrap Your loving arms around me!" What a comforting and eye-opening thought that was!

Psalm 103: 13 "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him."


We must never be afraid to call out to God......to "holler" His Name in the darkness of our time of need. He wants to be there for us even more than I wanted to be there for my grandbaby during her time of need in the predawn hours Sunday morning! We must come to Him with the faith of a little child, knowing that indeed, He is able to take care of whatever has made us fearful.

Mark 10: 14b "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God."


May God bless you....

Marilyn