I hear them before I see them. Snickering, giggling and whispering sounds coming through, around and under the door. No matter that I had closed the bedroom door, locked the bathroom door, and made sure the curtain was pulled tightly, they pursued me. I thank God the lock is reliable. I had turned the fan on, and the light off just to throw them off the ‘scent’.
That is right. Having the youngest grandchildren follow you around the house can be embarrassing. It is those private moments that get disturbed by their incessant curiosity. I have learned to not dare let myself be absent for more than 3 unexplained minutes, often reserving these necessary moments for their nap times by which time I am dozing anyway. Another reprieve is their bed times, by which time I am walking in a stupor (don’t they ever go to sleep?).
My life as a grandfather is under constant inspection, scrutiny, questioning and every move, word, form of entertainment, type of food, drink, every game, every conversation is examined and reexamined.
“Why, How, When, What, Where” questions abound, and no rhetorical answers such as; “that is for adults only” suffices. I am being watched closely, and whether I want to admit it or not, it causes me to be even more careful of how I live.
God sent a second wave of detectives in my life. The first ones I did not pay much attention to, and I did things that did not please Him, and without a doubt distracted them. This second wave is just as diligent and now being wiser I hope, I will be much more attentive and responsive to their watchful eyes. He is using them to make me more like Him. Maybe I should have had the grandchildren first.
Isaiah 11:6 “…a little child shall lead them”