Always Watching

This past weekend, we took our grandson Jackson to his T-ball game.  Our granddaughter Emma soon tired of watching little boys try to hit the ball off the tee.  She wanted to go to the colorful playground in the center of the ballpark.

I walked over there with her, sat on the "Mommy" bench and watched as she ran from one piece of equipment to another.  My eyes were never off of her, not so much because I was afraid someone would steal her away, but because Emma is fearless.  She climbs, she jumps and sometimes mistakenly thinks she can fly.  Her broken collarbone (the result of attempted flight) is far enough in the past now, she just might try again.

I noticed frequently throughout her play time she would turn and look back at me. I could tell she was pleased to see each time that I was intently watching her.  A grin would spread over that impish face, then she would flit on to the next activity before her.

At one point she did indeed climb higher than I would have liked.  Some of the older boys had found a way to climb on top of a piece of equipment that looked like a whale and were perched on the "whale's back."  She managed to get herself up there (not thinking much about the dress she had on, obviously).  She immediately looked backward at me to see my reaction.  I didn't get on to her in anyway and I didn't tell her to come down. . .I wanted to see how she would accomplish the feat of extracting herself from where she was perched and I wanted to see how long it would take her to attempt it.

She had a little difficulty at one point, but I just sat still.  I let her figure it out and figure it out she did.  She managed to get both her feet back on the safety of the platform and appeared to be quite proud of herself for her accomplishment.  Again, her face turned back to me to see if I had watched her.

Then she slid down the slide in front of me and ran to tell me about sitting "on top of the whale."

"I saw that," I told her, "but you looked a little frightened at one point."

"Yeah," she sort of brushed it off, "sometimes I get scared up high."

She must not get very scared up high, because this girl climbs and jumps and dances and I swear if she could flap her arms fast enough she would fly.

But in all that activity, it was important for her to frequently look back and see if someone was watching her. She was so glad they were, and I was so glad I was there to do so.

It should be a comfort to us to know that as Christians there is One that always watches over us as well.  His eye is always on us with a heart full of love and care and tenderness.  We will never look at Him that we do not catch His eye first looking at us.

Matthew 10: 29-31 

"Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows."