FAITH
By ossie16d
@ossie16d (11821)
Australia
December 21, 2006 10:34am CST
A little girl had been shopping with her Mum 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 "Mummy let's run through the rain," she said.
"What?" Mum asked.
"Lets run through the rain!" She repeated.
"No, honey. We'll wait until it slows down a bit," Mum replied.
This young child waited about another minute and repeated: "Mummy, let's run through the rain,"
"We'll get soaked if we do," Mum said.
"No, we won't, Mummy. That's not what you said this morning," the young girl said as she tugged at her Mum'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.
Mum 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," Mum 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.
They say 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. Send this to the people you'll never forget and remember to also send it to the person who sent it to you. It's a short message to let them know that you'll never forget them.
If you don't send it to anyone, it means you're in a hurry.
Take the time to live!!!
Keep in touch with your friends, you never know when you'll need each other -- and don't forget to run in the rain!
9 people like this
23 responses
@rosebug23 (1906)
• Australia
22 Dec 06
This is just such a beautiful story so heart warming and i could just imagine standing there and hearing the little girls words and the shocked response of everyone standing there.I know i would have felt very selfish for worrying about what i was buying and the rain ,it would certainly have made reality hit home. It's funny though when i lived in Melbourne i never stood in the rain and usually thought not more rain,now i am living here i go out and stand in the rain an even get up of a night to watch the rain if i hear it. Here i never curse the rain and even swim in the rain and am not bothered by it at all unless i am driving in the heavy rain where you can't see the road and have to pull over . I now love and really appreciate the rain. Thank you for a beautiful story
3 people like this
@ossie16d (11821)
• Australia
23 Dec 06
It is interesting how our perspective changes both as we get older and as we move to a new area. I have always appreciated the value of rain, having lived the majority of my life in the country where we rely on the rain for water to drink as well as for farming. It is good that you too have found the wonderful things that rain can do for us rosebug.
Yes this story is inspiring and shows just what a little faith can do for all of us. :)
2 people like this
@feralwoman (2199)
• Australia
23 Dec 06
What a wonderful story Ossie. I have lost touch with a few of my friends because I'm so busy - but this has made me think that I will indeed catch up with them again. Thanks for sharing this one with us. As usual a very interesting discussion! lOL
2 people like this
@ishavasyam (1801)
• India
22 Dec 06
Hello Ossie ..good morning...I had 182 mails in the inbox..selected ur post to read..and I m happy that I took this decision...FAITH...what a moving narration u have done on this post...I mean just touched my heart...I m proud to be associated with u here on my lot...thank U so much for such a nice & soul touching incidence...bye & have a nice day.
@sweetie88 (4556)
• Pakistan
22 Dec 06
I've been waiting for urs good post since last 2 days and atlast, it came. I read its each and every word and will say that its really a nice story. I got a bit jelious from urs hoice and collection. Lolz. Honestly, its really a nice story. Have a nice day and keep on sharing such nice posts!!!!!
@mrsjumppuppy03 (3301)
• United States
21 Dec 06
Very poignant! Beautiful story with a heartfelt moral. Thank you for sharing with us.
@caribe (2465)
• United States
21 Dec 06
What a lovely story, Ossie. For me, what this life is all about is making memories. It reminds me of something I did about a month ago. We had been without city water for a couple of days, something that happens once or twice a month here, and we had very little water left. There was water for drinking and we were conserving what we had left. I hadn't had a shower for two days, nor had my husband because of our water shortage. It had started to rain really hard outside and I noticed my husband was out in the back yard. When I looked out I saw him bathing in the rain. He told me to come on out and take advantage of the rain and get my shower. We have a tall wall completely around the back yard, so I did just that. We felt ever so refreshed after the shower in the rain. I couldn't remember doing anything like that in my entire life, aside from playing in the rain as a child. It was fun and refreshing and I felt like a child again. We had taken something negative and made a new memory with it.
@ossie16d (11821)
• Australia
22 Dec 06
How wonderful that you had some rain caribe and the privacy to enjoy showering in the rain. Sometimes we need to look through the innocent eyes of a child to see that we are truly blessed, which is what you did when you made the new memory of showing in the rain.
1 person likes this
@claudia413 (4280)
• United States
23 Dec 06
Ossie, thanks for sharing such a heartfelt story. "Out of the mouths of children" come some very profound wisdom. I'll be running through the rain for the next few days, since we're getting rain from tomorrow through Christmas Day. I'll honestly try to enjoy it.
Merry Christmas to you and yours. I'll be away most of the next 7 days since my daughter and 2 granddaughters will arrive tomorrow.
1 person likes this
@ossie16d (11821)
• Australia
23 Dec 06
Yes it is definately a case of hearing the truth from children who see things so clearly that they are refreshingly honest. Enjoy the rain, spend some time out in it Claudia and have faith.
Here's hoping you have a truly magical and Merry Christmas with your family, and it is lovely to read that your daughter and granddaughters will be visiting for the festive season.
1 person likes this
@gewcew23 (8007)
• United States
23 Dec 06
This is such a heart touching story. I am going through my great grandmothers bible (she passed away a couple of years ago and I wasn't able to bring home her items she wanted me to have so when my uncle moved he brought them to me) and I have been reading the little side notes of things she wanted to remember and it makes no sense to me but it meant something to her, and that is what makes it so special. I miss her greatly during this time of the year because we used to make cookies and candies together but she is in a much better place and the way I look at it is she beat me to heaven and she is spending Christmas with God, and my great grandfather and my great aunt. They are having a family reunion. Thank you for posting such a wonderful story specially at this time of the year.
1 person likes this
@ossie16d (11821)
• Australia
24 Dec 06
Sometimes it does take a while to go through the personal effects of someone who was very special to us. Take your time, read the notes that your great grandmother wrote in her Bible and you might learn just a little bit more about her and how she thought. You are right that she is in Heaven with some of her loved ones.
Thanks for reading this story and I hope it helps you even a little bit, because I think that we all need a little bit of faith in our lives. :)
@oldboy46 (2129)
• Australia
9 Feb 07
My partner is sitting here beside me reading this one .... says it is beautiful ..... it does show what having faith means really ..... and where would we be without faith we wonder, more so after reading this.
We will now take the time to get in touch with some people we have not been in contact with for a while ..... it does seem that we think there will always be tomorrow but the days slip past so fast that before we know it .... it is already next year and we still haven't made the time to catch up with people.
@SunlightSwoon (1060)
• United States
26 Dec 06
This is a beautiful passage, I love it and I will always
remember it. Thank you...Ossie16d...SS
1 person likes this
@karmendra (1123)
• India
22 Dec 06
its a lovely story today i started mylot account and i got 1st FAITH.
@sunita64 (6469)
• India
15 Feb 07
God that was really heart warming, Yes I still take the time to run through but not for fun but where I live if it rains for 1 hour it becomes water logged so driving my scooty becomes impossible so I am always rushing home at the start of rains. Your post has really given a beautiful message
@funlola (26)
• Nigeria
22 Dec 06
this is so far the best thing i have seen on my lot.thank u osie fpr reminding us adults that we need to be like children somethings and accept te things we can not change andchange those we can.thk u so much u can never guess how this few words have bleesed my life.God bless and keep u.have a wonderful day.
1 person likes this
@ossie16d (11821)
• Australia
22 Dec 06
I am pleased that you found this helpful, just as I did because I think that we can achieve great things if only we have a little bit of faith. Thanks for taking the time to read and respond to this. God bless you and have a wonderful Christmas. :)
1 person likes this
@cwgrlsarefun (1581)
• United States
15 Feb 07
I have to say that this is the most beautiful and wonderful story that I have read on here. I noticed that it is from two months ago but I just wanted to send a thank you for this story. It is nice to have a reminder like this once in awhile so that we can all slow down and remember to live.
@ossie16d (11821)
• Australia
16 Feb 07
These sorts of things are timeless, and a reminder that just having a little faith can work wonders. I found it truly inspirational in fact and just had to share it with everyone else. Thanks for reading and responding, and always remember that a little faith is good for all of us. :)