Visits with my grandchildren were precious, but lately it seemed like every time I saw them they were distracted by their gadgets. “Please, God,” I prayed as I pulled into their driveway, “help me find some way to entertain Paul and Jill. Help us make good memories together.”
Soon we were chatting about middle school and summer camp. It almost seemed like old times—until Jill slipped her phone out of her pocket. Beside her, Paul was casting longing looks toward his computer.
“Let’s go on a hike!” I announced.
“What for?” Paul asked.
I said the first thing that popped into my head. “We could catch frogs!”
Jill looked up from her phone. “You really think we’d catch one?”
“I’m sure of it!” This was a battle between the real world and the video screen. We trudged over muddy creeks and green pastures, laughing and talking. But we didn’t see a single frog. That’s the advantage of video games, I thought. The surprises are programmed right in.
An hour later, we still hadn’t seen a frog. This old lady had had enough, and it showed. “Gram, we’d better get you home,” Paul said.
Jill took my hand. “You’ve been such a trooper, Gram. It’s too bad we couldn’t find that frog.”
We came up the path to the front door of the house. Jill suddenly gasped. “Nobody move!” she ordered, and pointed. There, on the wall of the house, perched the plumpest frog I’d ever seen!
We entered the house with Jill holding aloft our prize. Victory! A victory for the real world, and for prayer.
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