NEED WASHING??

 

A LITTLE GIRL HAD BEEN SHOPPING

 WITH HER MOM IN SPAR. SHE MUST

 HAVE BEEN 6 YEARS OLD, THIS 

BEAUTIFUL RED HAIRED, FRECKLE 

FACED IMAGE OF INNOCENCE. IT

 WAS POURING OUTSIDE. THE KIND

 OF RAIN THAT GUSHES OVER THE 

TOP OF RAIN GUTTERS, SO MUCH 

IN A HURRY TO HIT THE EARTH 

IT HAS NO TIME TO FLOW DOWN

 THE SPOUT. WE ALL STOOD 

THERE UNDER THE AWNING AND

 JUST INSIDE THE DOOR OF THE 

SPAR.

WE WAITED, SOME PATIENTLY, 

OTHERS IRRITATED BECAUSE 

NATURE MESSED UP THEIR 

HURRIED DAY. I AM ALWAYS 

MESMERIZED BY RAINFALL. 

I GOT 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 CAME POURING 

IN AS A WELCOME REPRIEVE 

FROM THE WORRIES OF MY DAY.

THE LITTLE 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.

'LETS 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: '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 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, 

THROUGH THE PUDDLES. THEY 

HELD THEIR SHOPPING BAGS 

OVER THEIR HEADS JUST IN 

CASE. THEY GOT SOAKED. BUT

 THEY WERE FOLLOWED BY A 

FEW WHO SCREAMED AND 

LAUGHED LIKE CHILDREN ALL

 THE WAY TO THEIR CARS.

AND YES, I DID. I RAN. I GOT

 WET. I NEEDED WASHING....

CIRCUMSTANCES OR PEOPLE CAN

 TAKE AWAY YOUR MATERIAL 

POSSESSIONS, THEY CAN TAKE 

AWAY YOUR MONEY, AND THEY

 CAN TAKE AWAY YOUR HEALTH

. BUT NO ONE CAN EVER TAKE

AWAY YOUR PRECIOUS MEMORIES..

...SO, DON'T FORGET TO MAKE 

TIME AND TAKE THE 

OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE 

MEMORIES EVERYDAY.

TO EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON 

AND A TIME TO EVERY PURPOSE UNDER 

HEAVEN.
I HOPE YOU STILL TAKE THE TIME TO

 RUN THROUGH THE RAIN.

IT IS SAID IT TAKES A MINUTE TO 

FIND A SPECIAL PERSON, AN HOUR 

TO APPRECIATE THEM, A DAY TO 

LOVE THEM, BUT THEN AN ENTIRE

 LIFE TO FORGET THEM. TO FORGET.

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH YOUR FAMILY 

AND FRIENDS, YOU NEVER KNOW 

WHEN YOU'LL NEED EACH OTHER --

 AND DON'T FORGET TO RUN IN 

THE RAIN!