The 23rd Psalm from a kid's point of view

This morning, after singing Psalm 23 as written in the Scottish Psalter of 1650 (Hymn 136 in The United Methodist Hymnal), I was reminded of a story I had heard some time ago.  Of course, I had to tell it, even though time was of an essence today in our service. I really do not remember who told me or sent me this story or anything of its origin - and I have taken my own poetic license in the telling of it.  Oh - and I did make it through the service in the standard unit of time for Sunday morning worship in mainline Protestant churches where people wear watches and there is a clock on the wall!  

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A young mother was extremely nervous about her son beginning Kindergarten.  He had to walk a couple of blocks to school, and to assure his safety, his mother would walk with him to school and then meet him after school to walk him home.  The boy allowed this for the first few weeks until he began to make some friends who would walk with him.  He informed his mother that he was a big boy and did not need her to walk him to and from school.  He could walk with his friends.  Reluctantly, his mother agreed.

However, having agreed, she began to panic about him walking without adult supervision, so she asked her neighbor lady if she would follow along behind him to make sure he was safe.  The neighbor had a young daughter who liked to go for stroller rides, so she agreed to follow her son to and from school while taking her daughter in her stroller.

One day, on the way home from school, one of the boy's friends asked him, "Have you noticed that there is a lady who has been following us to and from school for the past two weeks?  Who is she and what is she doing?"

The boy replied, "Oh, she's just our neighbor.  Her name is Shirley Goodnest, and the little kid is her daughter, Marcy.  Don't worry about it."

"But why is she following us?" his friend wanted to know.  "And how long is this going to go on?"

"Well," said the boy, "probably for a long time, and I think it's because of that Bible verse we learned in Sunday School.  You know, the one that says, "Shirley Goodnest and Marcy shall follow me all the days of my life."