This is an account of an incident that happened to a young man who works
for
Century Tel in Monroe, Louisiana, while
shopping one day.
She must have been six years old, this beautiful, brown-haired,
freckle-faced image of innocence. Her Mom looked like someone from
the
Walton's or a moment captured by Norman Rockwell. Not that she was old
fashioned. Her brown hair was ear length with enough curl to appear
natural.
She had on a pair of tan shorts and a light blue knit shirt. Her sneakers
were white with a blue trim. She looked like a Mom.
It was pouring outside. The kind of rain that gushes over the tops of rain
gutters, so much in a hurry to hit the earth it has no time to flow down
the
spout. Drains in the nearby parking lot were filled to capacity, and some
were blocked so that huge puddles laked around parked cars. We all stood
there under the awning and just inside the door of the Walmart. We waited,
some patiently, others irritated because nature messed up their hurried
day.
I am always mesmerized
by rainfall. I get lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away
the dirt and dust of the world. Memories of running, splashing so carefree
as a child come pouring in as a welcome reprieve from the worries of my
day.
Her voice was so sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance we were all caught
in. "Mom, let's run through the rain," she said. "What?" Mom asked. "Let's
run through the rain!" she repeated. "No, honey. We'll wait until it slows
down a bit," Mom replied. This young child waited about another minute and
repeated her statement. "Mom, let's run through the rain." "We'll get
soaked
if we do," Mom said. "No, we won't, Mom. That's not what you said this
morning," the young girl said as she tugged at her mom's arm. "This
morning?
When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?" "Don't you
remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, 'If
God can get us through this, He can get us through anything!'"
The entire crowd stopped dead silent. I swear you couldn't hear anything
but
the rain. We all stood silently. No one came or left in the next few
minutes. Mom paused and thought for a moment about what she would say.
Now,
some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly. Some might even
ignore what was said. But this was a moment of affirmation
in a young child's life. A time when innocent trust can be nurtured so
that
it will bloom into faith. "Honey, you are absolutely right. Let's run
through the rain. If God lets us get wet, well, maybe we just needed
washing," Mom said.
Then off they ran.
We all stood watching, smiling and laughing as they darted past the cars
and
yes ... through the puddles. They held their shopping bags over their
heads
just in case. They got soaked. But they were followed by a few believers
who
screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars. Perhaps
inspired by their faith and trust.
I want to believe that somewhere down
the
road in life, Mom will find herself reflecting back on moments they spent
together, captured like pictures in the scrapbook of her cherished
memories. Maybe when she watches proudly as her daughter graduates. Or as
her husband walks their daughter down the aisle on her wedding day. She
will
laugh again. Her heart will beat a little faster. Her smile will tell the
world they love each other.
But only two people will share that precious
moment when they ran through the rain believing that God would get them
through. And yes, I did. I ran. I got wet. I needed washing.
I hope you all still have time to run through the rain.