A little girl had been shopping with her Mom in Wal-Mart. 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 Wal-Mart. 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.
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.
A friend sent this to me to remind me of life. Hope you enjoy it.
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!
**********************************************
"The wise man in the
storm prays to God, not for safety from danger, but for the deliverance from
fear. It is the storm within that endangers him, not the storm without."
---Ralph Waldo Emerson
Yonah
Kaufman was driving in his car one day, listening to a Torah
tape as he often enjoyed doing. He was going along on his way, when suddenly he
heard a loud honk. He turned to see a swerving pickup truck careening toward him
from out of nowhere. Fortunately, he was able to react just in time to avoid a
serious, possibly fatal collision. Although his car was
fine, he was a wreck. He pulled over to catch his breath and compose
himself.
As he played the scene over in his
mind, something didn't make
sense. Who honked the horn? It sounded a bit different than a regular horn
sound. Eventually he figured it out. He replayed the Torah tape and just at
that point, there was the sound of a loud horn honking in the background.
Apparently, when the lecturer, Rabbi Dan Segal, delivered the presentation,
a truck driving past the building honked its horn just at that moment.
Yonah's dedication to Torah learning
saved his life. The mitzvah
saved his life.
Rabbi Segal delivered this lecture
ten years prior to this near
accident. Presumably, at the time when the loud truck drove by, people
considered it an annoying distraction, interrupting a wonderful Torah
lecture. Little could anyone have suspected at the time, that Hashem was
masterfully orchestrating events so that ten years later a Jew's life would
be spared.
"A
son and his father were walking on the mountains. Suddenly, his son falls, hurts
himself and screams: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!". To his surprise, he hears
the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain:
"AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
Curious, he yells: "Who are you?"
He receives the answer: "Who are you?"
And then he screams to the mountain: "I admire you!"
The voice answers: "I admire you!"
Angered at the response, he screams: "Coward!"
He receives the answer: "Coward!"
He looks to his father and asks: "What's going on?"
The father smiles and says: "My son, pay attention."
Again the man screams: "You are a champion!"
The voice answers: "You are a champion!"
The boy is surprised, but does not understand. Then the father explains:
"People call this ECHO, but really this is LIFE. It gives you back
everything you say or do. Our life is simply a reflection of our actions. If you
want more love in the world, create more love in your heart. If you want more
competence in your team, improve your competence. This relationship applies to
everything, in all aspects of life; Life will give you back everything you have
given to it."
YOUR LIFE IS NOT A COINCIDENCE. IT'S A REFLECTION OF YOU!"
