Wal-Mart Lesson

Previous

Next

She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful brown
haired, freckled 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 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 aggravated because
nature messed up their hurried day. I am always mesmerized
by rain fall. 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 or
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
let's 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 throught
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
some where 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 Daddy walks her 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.