Washed in the Rain

Last Sunday I was washed in the rain.

I was leaving Sunnys restaurant in Valley with Charlie, after Sunday church services, when, upon leaving, discovered the torrential downpour that was pouring from the skies. I wasn't suprised, after all that morning we had sang "Let it Rain" and it appeared that God had heard our cries for rain. It had been two months since the last rain we had, and personally, as a sufferer of allergies, I was more than glad to see the rain pouring down.

So anyway, Charlie and I were leaving Sunny's. He looked at me and said that he would go bring the truck around so I wouldn't have to get wet. Then I was reminded of the following story:

"A little girl had been shopping with her Mom in Target. 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 Target.

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.

"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, "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."

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And so instead of waiting for Charlie to bring the truck around, I looked at him and said "lets just run through it." He looked at me as if I had lost my mind, which, I'm sure to the people around me, it certainly looked as if I had. Afterall, I wasn't dressed to run in the rain - but I pulled off my flats, rolled up my jeans, grabbed Charlie's hand and ran, laughing, all the way to the truck.

I guess I just felt like I needed washing that day.

When was the last time you ran through the rain?

(story taken from http://www.glowandshinedesign.com/inspirational_stories5.html)