The Water of Life
It was one of the hottest days of the dry season.
We had not seen rain in almost a month. The crops were dying.
Cows had stopped giving milk. The creeks and streams were long gone back
into the earth. It was a dry season that would bankrupt several farmers
before it was through. Every day, my husband and his brothers would go
about the arduous process of trying to get water to the fields. Lately
this process had involved taking a truck to the local water rendering
plant and filling it up with water. But severe rationing had cut everyone
off. If we didn't see some rain soon... we would lose everything.
It was on this day that I learned the true lesson of sharing and
witnessed the only miracle I have seen with my own eyes. I was in the
kitchen making lunch for my husband and his brothers when I saw my six-year
old son, Billy, walking toward the woods. He wasn't walking with the usual
carefree abandon of a youth but with a serious purpose. I could only see
his back. He was obviously walking with a great effort... trying to be as
still as possible. Minutes after he disappeared into the woods, he came running
out again, toward the house. I went back to making sandwiches; thinking that
whatever task he had been doing was completed.
Moments later, however, he was once again walking in that slow
purposeful stride toward the woods. This activity went on for over an hour:
walking
carefully to the woods, then running back to the house. Finally, my curiosity
got the best of me. I crept out of the house and followed him on his
journey (being very careful not to be seen... as he was obviously doing
something important and didn't need his Mommy checking-up on him).
He was cupping both hands in front of him as he walked; being
very careful not to spill the water he held in them... maybe two or three
tablespoons were held in his tiny hands. I sneaked closer as he went into
the woods. Branches and thorns slapped his little face but he did not try
to avoid them. He had a much greater purpose. As I leaned in to spy on
him, I saw the most amazing site.
Several large deer loomed in front of him. Billy walked right up
to them. I almost screamed for him to get away. A huge buck with elaborate
antlers was dangerously close. But the buck did not threaten him... he
didn't even move as Billy knelt down. And I saw a tiny fawn laying on the
ground, obviously suffering from dehydration and heat exhaustion, lift
its head with great effort to lap up the water cupped in my beautiful boy's
hand.
When the water was gone, Billy jumped up to run back to the house
and I hid behind a tree. I followed him back to the house; to a
spigot that we had shut off the water to. Billy opened it all the way up
and a small trickle of water began to creep out. He knelt there, letting
each drip of
water slowly fill up his makeshift "cup," as the sun beat down on
his little back. It was just last week he was punished for playing with
the garden hose, and received a stern lecture on the importance of not
wasting water. So, I'm sure that is why he didn't ask me to help him.
It took almost twenty minutes for the drops to fill his hands. When
he stood up and began the trek back, I was there in front of him. His
little eyes just filled with tears. "I'm not wasting," was all he
said. As
he began his walk, I joined him... with a small pot of water from the
kitchen. I let him tend to the fawn. I stayed away... it was his job.
I stood on the edge of the woods watching the most beautiful
heart I have ever known working so hard to save a life. As the tears
that rolled down my face began to hit the ground, they were suddenly
joined by other drops... and more drops... and more. I looked up at the
sky. It was as if God, Himself, was weeping with pride.
Some will probably say that this was all just a huge coincidence. That
miracles don't really happen. That it was bound to rain sometime. And
I can't argue with that... I'm not even going to try. All I can say is
that the rain that came that day saved our farm... just like the actions
of one little boy saved a life.
Epilog (SkyWriting.Net editor): I have received this same story from other
sources, which do not include the "to honor the memory of my beautiful Billy."
However, out of respect to the parent(s) that lost a child, I'm including it
as an addendum; along with my sincere heart felt sympathy.
Addendum -- "This story is to honor the memory of my
beautiful Billy, who was taken from me much too soon.... but not before
he showed me the true face of God; in a little sunburned body."
[ Author Unknown -- from Al -- Ed:Anon. ]
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