Run Through the Rain

She had been shopping with her Mom in Wal-Mart. She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful brown 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 Wal-Mart. We waited, some patiently, others 4)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: "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!' " ( to be continued)

她和媽媽剛在沃爾瑪購完物。這個天真的小女孩應該6歲大了，頭發是美麗的棕色，臉上有雀斑。外面下著傾盆大雨。雨水溢滿了檐槽，來不及排走，就迫不及待地涌向了大地。

我們都站在沃爾瑪門口的遮篷下。大家在等待，有的人很耐心，也有人煩躁，因為老天在給他們本已忙碌的一天添亂。雨天總引起我的遐思。我出神地聽著、看著老天洗刷沖走這世界的污垢和塵埃，孩時無憂無慮地在雨中奔跑玩水的記憶洶涌而至，暫時緩解了我這一天的焦慮。

小女孩甜美的聲音打破了這令人昏昏欲睡的氣氛，“媽媽，我們在雨里跑吧。”她說。

“什么?”母親問。

“我們在雨里跑吧。”她重復。

“不，親愛的，我們等雨小一點再走。”母親回答說。

過了一會小女孩又說：“媽媽，我們跑出去吧。”

“這樣的話我們會濕透的。”母親說。

“不會的，媽媽。你今天早上不是這樣說的。”小女孩一邊說一邊拉著母親的手。

“今天早上?我什么時候說過我們淋雨不會濕啊?”

“你不記得了嗎?你和爸爸談他的癌癥時，你不是說‘如果上帝讓我們闖過這一關，那我們就沒有什么過不去了。’”(待續)