Click and Share if....

Just logged out of Facebook where one of the first things I saw was




“CLICK SHARE IF YOU ARE PROUD OF...”



This could actually become the theme of Facebook if you think about it.



SHARE THE THING YOU ARE MOST PROUD OF TODAY...



I imagine I have a few people already as they think about their last post. Was it a picture of their grandchild or the day they were wed? Did they post about their child's most recent milestone or anxious moment? I actually read someone's post about a cicada lighting on someone's head. Can you say DRAMA? And as she suggested a LOL, I did find a chuckle for this person I don't even know. Perhaps most of your friends post family events, quotes and encouraging words or hopefilled thoughts and photos of beautiful things God has created. There are definitely advantages to being a part of social networking.



I've been thinking a lot about Facebook recently and this is not my Adios or exit speech since I long every day to get a glimpse of the beautiful face of my grandson Davis and if I'm fortunate, his mom and dad, when I log in each day. They live a couple of hours away and it's like a shot of encouragement to me to see that angelic face and the recap of his latest outing. However, I realize things are changing in respect to relationship these days and I do have an opinion about how it needs to look for me.



I am a people person, always have been and always will be. As I read some devotional thoughts this morning about the subject of love, I realized one of my first thoughts was to share them on Facebook, which I promptly did with a few friends when my prayer time was over. As a former teacher, I still enjoy dispensing information and hopefully someone will glean something from the things I've read as I choose to Click and Share. But, my time this morning, goes even deeper. I didn't realize it until I saw the aforementioned....”Click if you're proud of post.”



I rarely Click and Share these things and don't even care to ask myself “Why?” It's probably because I realize a person to person contact for me is always more fulfilling than a text, post, or click and share. I'm pretty sure I've been lax in my relationship with my son and his family since they live in another city. It's so easy to just go with the flow of our culture and take a peek at the latest photo on FB when a phone call would be so much more personal. Hope they can read these words (another sort of impersonal way of getting this point across) and believe me when I say how much I miss them and how my prayers for them go up each day. I'm remembering the day my daddy told me he prays for us all each day and how much it meant to me.



Let me go deeper still. As I was praying this morning, I realized how proud I am of my two children. They are each parents now, facing obstacles in life, clearly the plight of every parent. Our desires to raise healthy, happy and successful children are consuming when living in this stage of life. God reminded me so clearly of the ways He was faithful to me as a single mother and how deeply He cared for me, sustained me and brought me to the position I hold now as grandmother. Even now, when things touch their lives that bring pain, suffering or heartache, I feel the former struggles of motherhood resurface. God reminded me this morning that He is their Father. When I feel the need to protect, defend and loose them from the obstacles of life, He is there, fully capable of taking this burden from me. He never failed me then and He won't fail them now.


God reminded me of the scene in my living room yesterday morning of my grandchildren... of brother reading the Bible to sister.



He reminded me of my prayers for these three grandchildren and how their giftings are showing so clearly and how clearly this shows an answer to my prayers.



He reminded me of how much they need my encouragement and not just a “click and share” on Facebook. They need to know how much I believe in them and how much I know God will be faithful to see them through the obstacles.

I don't think my thoughts would be complete without sharing these words from the devotional The Greatest Thing in the World.



“You will find, if you think for a moment, that the people who influence you are people who believe in you. In an atmosphere of suspicion men shrivel up; but in an atmosphere (of love) they expand, and find encouragement....

And if we try to influence or elevate others, we shall soon see that success is in proportion to their belief of our belief in them....our idea of what he is becomes to him the hope and pattern of what he may become.”



So, for my two children and their spouses and my three grandchildren and any unborn grandchild, I say to you today...



I am so very proud of you. I believe in you.



God gave me a peek at some photos in my memory and posted some thoughts in my mind today that
reminded me that the greatest gift we give others is our love. In an atmosphere of love, anyone can overcome obstacles and become all God designed them to become.



While I'm processing these thoughts by typing them into a document, my goal is to say these words to them face to face. “Click if you're proud” just doesn't do it justice for me and it's not enough for the beautiful, amazing and very much loved children and grandchildren I call my own. So I SAVE, TITLE, POST and SEND... but my heart and goal is to



Say face to face....



I am proud of you

I believe in you

I pray for you



I LOVE YOU... and LOVE NEVER FAILS!

MOM