Heart’s Desire
This little prayer sits in my kitchen window propped up against a stained glass lighthouse. Immediately to the right of the lighthouse are a few small plants that fit perfectly in that space. I purposely positioned them there to bring joy when I wash my hands at the kitchen sink. They are also there to greet me as I gaze out that window at the hummingbirds visiting my feeder. Tucked inside one of the green plants is a small mauve, white, and green hummingbird just in case I don’t see one fluttering around outside. While these things lining my window seal aren’t much, they bring a smile to my face and lighten my mood every time I see them.
While I didn’t write this prayer, it spoke to my heart when I first read it. I’m actually not sure where it originated from, but for some reason I seem to recall it possibly being tucked in the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital envelope. We try to donate to them every year. They are so kind to send little surprises such as address labels, note pads, and it just seems like it would “fit” that this little prayer was included. They also send personal stories of children that have been receiving treatment. Their stories break my heart as I recall a time when a sixth grade girl in my daughter’s class was diagnosed with cancer. My daughter was so overcome with sadness when she heard the news, and it was her heart’s desire to help her friend. We set out, along with Greg Johnson who handles all things behind the scenes with Light Love Hope, to do just that. Our efforts were successful and helped provide for her mother while she took off time from work to care for her child. Her story has a happy ending, as she just graduated from high school last weekend. Her treatment set her back a year on her school work, so she graduated a year behind my daughter. She has been in remission for several years now. This young lady is a walking miracle and a prime example of God’s healing power!
Ah, but back to where this prayer possibly originated from.
Perhaps it was included in literature that our neighbor, Ms. Betty, passed along to us. She likes to recycle things that she receives in the mail. Her heart is in the right place as she shares Journey magazines, calendars, and sometimes even books. The latest little booklets she placed in a yellow envelope inside my mailbox were about how to get to know Jesus. One book in particular asks on the cover, “Do You Know Jesus?” Yes! We do!
No matter where this little prayer came from, it echoes my heart’s desire.
How often do we stop to thank God for our many blessings? Oh, how wonderful it would be if we only stop for a moment, in between the muttering and complaining that we get in a habit of doing, and consider all that He has done for us. He has provided for our every need, and He will not fail. No matter what, God is an ever present force in our lives longing for a relationship with us. He cares for the tiniest sparrow. His love and care for us is even greater.
What if we were to strive daily to have a positive outlook? No one will want what we have if we’re negative and down in the dumps all the time. We want people to see the Jesus in us so that they will long for what we have and begin to ask questions. Then it will open up the conversation for us to share about our Lord and Savior! I think of the lady’s video that went viral recently — the mom wearing the Chewbacca mask and how she just laughed and laughed over how she looked in the mirror. She was so joyful that everyone was watching and sharing her video all around the globe. When asked about her joyfulness, she took that opportunity to share in her “15 minutes of fame” that her joy comes from the Lord. Oh, what a wonderful opportunity to share about our Jesus, and she did just that! That is what I’m talking about – to be so filled that people ask what is the source of your joy … and our reply should be, “Jesus Christ!”
Let every single thing that we say and do bring honor, praise, and glory to Jesus.
Indeed.
May this be your heart’s desire as well.
Followed
My daughter was followed tonight on her way home from work. It was late, and she was scared.
This has always been a fear of mine since she was a tiny baby; someone would try to harm her in some way, threaten her, or attempt to kidnap her. Although I know I should not live in fear, every time the phone rings when she is not in my line of vision, my entire body tightens up. I can feel the stress in every muscle as anxiety takes over until I hear in her voice that she is okay. Then and only then do I sigh a huge sigh of relief.
Earlier tonight she texted as she usually does before pulling away from her place of employment. She had to work late and help close. I texted back for her to be careful, as it was raining, and that I love her.
A few minutes later, my phone rang. I knew immediately something was wrong.
“Mama, I think I’m being followed?”
“Are you sure?”
“No, but I think so because every move I make, the person is right there on my tail. I speed up, they speed up. They won’t stop following me!”
“Do NOT come home. Drive around until I get where you are. I’m coming …” I grabbed my purse and headed out the door with my husband and youngest daughter in tow.
Within seconds, she calls back but to my husband’s phone. My husband answers this time reassuring her that we are on the way. She tells him of what she is experiencing with the driver, and I know without a doubt as this information is related that she is, indeed, being followed by someone that is up to no good.
“Call the police!” I say to my husband.
He continues talking to her.
I grab my phone and shove it in his general direction as I look forward, both hands on the wheel trying not to exceed the speed limit, but anxious to get to my daughter.
“CALL 9-1-1 NOW!”
He hesitated again, always wanting to see the best in people, uncertain at this point if she is really and truly being followed. My gut instinct tells me that she is not paranoid. This person IS really following her! It’s late at night, and I can ONLY imagine that this person has ill intentions toward my daughter!
Within minutes, I reach the area where she is, and I can see it with my own two eyes! YES, she is, indeed, being followed! I witnessed the car tailgating her and going every where she went. She had previously turned off at a gas station, drove through it and then went back on the main road. Then she turned around on the highway and went back the opposite direction. They, apparently, thought she was going back to the same gas station, so they went straight to it – she turned off when the road split, though. I was right there on their tail at this point and got what looked like 185 3GA as their license plate number. It was dark and raining, and when I pulled in behind them, they sped off. It was a black car with tinted windows, although I could not tell the make, but it was small like a Camry or something similar.
Finally, I hear my husband dialing 9-1-1 and speaking to the dispatcher as we proceeded to follow the car. My daughter managed to escape from the stalker and was now safe in another location.
The car went at a high rate of speed when they realized we were now following them giving them a taste of their own medicine. They finally drove out of sight as I refused to exceed the speed limit. It was RAINING, and I was afraid to drive too fast for conditions. Before the black car went out of sight, I witnessed them swerve in the road. I did not want to get into an accident and endanger our lives chasing some one that was up to no good in the first place. Thankfully, God helped me maintain my composure and the ability to think clearly. We notified our county police who then notified two other counties around us. That was about all we could do at this point. We saw a cop car waiting on the side of the road a few miles after the black car went out of sight. We anticipated they would be going in that direction not realizing there was a side road they could take. Apparently, when they sped out of sight, they went that direction down the side road instead of straight where this cop would have gotten them. We stopped to tell the police, and they went en route again looking for the black car.
It was all out of our hands. We notified the authorities, and all we can do is hope the police department ran the license plate and will speak to the registered owner of the vehicle if they were not able to locate or stop this vehicle tonight.
We returned home where my daughter had just arrived as well. I immediately went to her and hugged her, thanking God for her safety and for His protection.
She attempted to eat, but she was feeling nauseated at this point so she went to lay down in her room instead. Within minutes, she comes back into the living room where I am sitting and says that a guy she met on an online forum messaged her when he hasn’t talked to her in weeks. She said he asked what was going on and she told him she was followed tonight. He responded by saying, “Yea, it was me.” Whether this guy was joking or not, neither of us were sure, but this is NOT something to make light of. I told her to call him to see if this truly was him tonight. She didn’t have his number in her phone any longer, but I did from when she went off with him once before. I immediately started dialing his number. He answered but did not say a word. I called his name, and finally he said, “Yes …” I informed him of who I was and what happened earlier tonight. I asked if it really was him that followed her, and he stuttered as he said, “No … ma’am … I was … only … joking.” I took that opportunity to inform him of how scared my daughter was and that this was NOT a time for jokes. I told him that IF it was him, the police now have a description of his car AND the license plate number because *I* followed the vehicle and made sure to get this information to turn in to the police. He stumbled over his words once more as he apologized and said he never should have joked with her about it as he did not realize how upset she truly was. After we hung up, my daughter and I just stood there looking at each other.
She informed me of two individuals that came into her place of employment tonight when she was working. One asked to date her, but she declined. The other kept staring her down, which made her feel uncomfortable.
We’ve wracked our brains trying to figure out WHO this could be that followed her. Was it the person that jokingly said it was him … was it the individual that asked to date her … was it the suspicious guy looking her up and down … or was it someone that picked her out of a crowd and decided tonight was a good night to scare her?!
We’ve had trouble with immature people in the past harassing my daughter at work, asking her co-workers for her work schedule so they could be sure to come up there to bother her, no doubt. Honestly, we thought we were done with all of that drama since we cut an individual out of our lives that will no longer be allowed to return. We gave this individual an undeserved second chance. Why do I say undeserved? Because we realized after he showed his true colors again that nothing had changed about this individual. When they came back begging forgiveness, saying how they changed and would work hard to prove it, instead, all we saw was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. This individual attempted to pull the wool over our eyes. He came back proclaiming to be something he was NOT; therefore, this individual has no place in our lives any longer. Now we sit and wonder if this person – or his friends – might be behind this just as they were the last time people were bothering my daughter a few short months ago.
Yes, everyone is a suspect at this point, and everything seems suspicious. We aren’t paranoid. We’re very much concerned for my daughter’s safety, and trust me — you would be, TOO, if this happened to YOUR child!
As sleep has closed everyone’s eyes in this house, except for mine, I sit still shaken by what took place tonight. While she and I do not know who is behind this, GOD KNOWS! Rest assured, HE will have the final say, and the person or persons with ill intent will NOT get away with it. God will see to it! Evil will NOT prevail!
My husband regrets that he wasn’t the one behind the wheel tonight. While I would not go at a high rate of speed and chance endangering my husband’s life or the life of our youngest child, he said he would have gone just as fast as them to make sure they didn’t get out of his sight. I knew that was not a smart move, especially on wet roads with as much rain as we have gotten AND with us being on back country roads with deer known to be in the area. He said he wishes he had a chance to go up to their vehicle to confront them at the gas station before they sped off, but I told him that in this day and age we are living in, we have no way of knowing if someone would pull a gun on him when he approached. My daughter actually said she was fearful when the vehicle pulled up right beside her on the highway flashing their lights. She said she leaned way back in her seat so if they did shoot, she wouldn’t be in the line of fire.
Oh, dear GOD! What a world we are living in when my daughter has to be afraid she’s going to get SHOT at!!
People, this is serious when you have someone following a 19 year old late at night flashing lights, getting up beside her car, etc. They followed her doing this for 30 minutes or more. There was NO doubt what was going on when I saw it happening with my own two eyes. This also happened to me when I was around her age, and I called the police as well. I instructed her that if she wouldn’t have been able to get me on the phone tonight that she was to call 9-1-1 if it happened again and go straight to the police station requesting an officer meet her out front.
She did the right thing by NOT taking these people to her house and NOT stopping to see what they wanted. I will be AT her place of employment when she gets off work when I am in town from now on, and I will escort her home. If I’m not in town, I’ll have someone there to make sure she is SAFE!
People have said before that I’m too involved in her life. TOO INVOLVED???? (Note: The main ones saying this are the ones that were attempting to harass, stalk, and bully her a few months ago and some so-called-friends that have agreed with them after the fact.) Well, FYI … She is MY CHILD, and it is MY JOB to PROTECT HER if I can. While there is still breath in my body, REST ASSURED, I WILL DO ALL I CAN FOR HER!
I contacted a friend tonight that works with the highway patrol to ask their opinion and to see if we can do anything further to pursue this with the license plate number.
As I close, here is a little bit of advice. Hold your children close – no matter their age and no matter WHO tries to get in your business and tell you that you’re “too involved.” At least my daughter knows she is LOVED and I will ALWAYS have her back! As long as God allows me to be on this earth with her, she can ALWAYS depend on ME!
Parents, talk to your children and let them know what to do if THEY feel they are being followed. You can not be too safe here when your children are involved. It’s a sad world we’re living in when this type of conversation is needed with our children, but PLEASE … talk to them. Instruct them on what to do to ensure they are safe! It is a conversation you need to have in this day and age.
Never miss an opportunity to tell your children how much they mean to you, how much you love them, and ALWAYS hold them close to your heart no matter how old they get. They will always be your children, and they always need your love.
And finally, pray … without ceasing … PRAY for your children!!
God is with them. God is for them. God is in them.
Oh, Father God, protect our children. Each and every one!
Casting Stones
There sure has been a lot of casting stones this weekend over the situation with the four year old little boy and the gorilla. I’ll admit when I first saw the video footage from the media, it did appear that the gorilla was being gentle with the little boy. That is until I saw what the news media edited out on their video! It wasn’t until another news station out of the UK posted footage of the gorilla dragging the little boy through the water that changed all of that.
I know everyone is up in arms about the mother being at the zoo with other children and taking her eyes off of this little one. We all know what resulted after the boy made his way into the enclosure, fell into the moat, as bystanders watched in horror of what was unfolding right before their eyes.
What angers me is that the news media only posts what they want you to see. They aren’t giving you the full story, and yet they expect you to base your opinions on what they report. Having not seen the extended video until much later, I was outraged that they would kill this “protective” gorilla. When I saw the gorilla in the unedited video yanking the child like a rag doll, my opinion quickly changed.
I am an animal lover through and through. It pains me to think that we just celebrated this gorilla’s 17th birthday a few days before this happened, and now, he is dead as a result of this tragic event.
The mother was heard in the video saying, “Mommy’s here.” “Stay calm.” “Mommy loves you.”
I honestly believe she was frightened for her little boy’s safety, yet she was trying to keep him calm so he did not agitate the gorilla.
The question a lot of people are asking is where was “Mommy” minutes before the little boy made his way through the enclosure? In their minds, she was negligent by not watching the boy who just expressed an interest in going to play in the moat. I’m sure she never in her widest dreams would have imagined him gaining access to the enclosure to do just that. Yet, he did.
Then the next question others are asking is WHY wasn’t the enclosure secure enough to prevent ANY one from getting inside in the first place?
I imagine the mother feels just awful about this, and I’m certain the zoo feels awful about it as well.
Why aren’t we extending grace to BOTH instead of being outraged and casting stones?
It is a very sad and unfortunate situation that ended in the tragic loss of a 17 year old gorilla. I loved seeing pictures of this beautiful Silverback, yet I realize his size and strength! The four year old boy was no match for this gorilla, and I’m just thankful that the little boy’s life was spared.
There is argument as to WHY they didn’t use a tranquilizer gun on the gorilla. Why was it necessary to KILL the gorilla? I once questioned this myself until I realized that no one knows what effect the tranquilizer would have had on the gorilla. Furthermore, the tranquilizer would not have worked immediately on a gorilla that size! I think of the times we’ve had our donkey and horses sedated for procedures that were being done on them. When the donkey was castrated last year, none of us knew what this donkey was going to do. Everyone stood way back as the vet and his technicians administered the sedation. Even then, they made sure to stay clear of him until they could see how it was going to affect the donkey. The same was done when the vet and the techs sedated our horses so they could float their teeth at the beginning of the year. You just never know how an animal will react, and it is best to stay out of their way until you do! Further, just as I saw with the donkey and horses, these animals weigh over a thousand pounds, so it is going to take longer for the sedation to work. It did not happen instantaneously with the donkey and horses, and it would NOT have been instant with the gorilla either.
I feel the zoo officials did what they had to do in order to spare the little boy’s life.
There is argument now that the mother should be charged due to the death of the gorilla. We hold animals in captivity for our viewing pleasure. We pay good money to go into zoos around the nation to look at these wild and often times extinct animals. If the mother is going to be charged and have to pay for the death of this gorilla, what about the suicidal man that jumped into the lion exhibit a few weeks ago?
I know for me, I try to keep an eye on my children at all times, especially when we are out in public! For whatever reason, this mother took her eyes off of her adventurous child, or maybe he scrambled from her sight so fast that she was unable to grab him before he went through the enclosure and fell into the moat.
It is beyond frustrating that people seemingly act irresponsible and innocent people, or animals in this case, are hurt or even killed! The gorilla was going about his day being on display as others around took pictures, talked to him, etc., and then a foreign object falls near him. I’m sure the gorilla was curious, yet also wishing to protect his habitat. The next we saw unfold in the edited and unedited versions of the video. I’m certain the little boy was in danger or else the zoo officials would not have taken the action that they did. Yet, we’re still left frustrated over it! However, if this was your child, I am certain you would want the zoo officials to do just what they did in this case to spare your child’s life. I wish both of their lives would have been spared, but sadly, this was not possible.
Should the mother have been watching her child? YES! Should the enclosure have been where no human could have gained access? YES! There is fault on BOTH sides, but pointing fingers will NOT bring this 17 year old gorilla back to life nor will it erase the injuries the boy sustained from the fall and being dragged through the water by the gorilla. Hopefully, it will teach the mother to keep a better watch over her children. I can only hope that this will leave a lasting impression on the CHILD also so that he will obey in the future! And lastly, I hope that zoos every where will look at ALL of their enclosures to ensure that no one can gain access after these two incidents within weeks of each other where humans were able to get inside with the wild animals.
At a time like this, let’s stop casting stones. Instead, mourn the loss of a gorilla that entertained so many people in the 17 years he was alive, AND whisper thanks to God for sparing the life of this four year old little boy who has so much living left to do.
