A mother was concerned about her kindergarten son, Little Johnny, walking to school.
He didn’t want his mother to walk with him.

She wanted to give him the feeling that he had some independence but yet know that he was safe.
So she had an idea of how to handle it.
She asked a neighbour if she would please follow him to school in the mornings, staying at a distance, so he probably wouldn’t notice her.

The neighbour said that since she was up early with her toddler anyway, it would be a good way for them to get some exercise as well, so she agreed.
The next school day, the neighbour and her little girl set out following behind Little Johnny as he walked to school with another neighbour girl he knew.
She did this for the whole week.

As the two walked and chatted, kicking stones and twigs, Johnny’s little friend noticed the same lady was following them as she seemed to do every day all week.
Finally she said to Little Johnny,
‘Have you noticed that lady following us to school all week? Do you know her?’
Little Johnny nonchalantly replied,
‘Yeah, I know who she is.’

The little girl said, ‘Well, who is she?’
‘ That’s just Shirley Goodnest,’ Little Johnny replied, ‘and her daughter Marcy ….’
‘Shirley Goodnest? Who is she and why is she following us?
‘Well,’ Little Johnny explained,

‘every night my Mum makes me say the 23rd Psalm with my prayers, ‘cuz she worries about me so much.
And in the Psalm, it says,
‘Shirley Goodnest (surely goodness) and Marcy (mercy) shall follow me all the days of my life’,
So I guess I’ll just have to get used to it.