The Water

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 an hour: walk carefully to the woods,
run back to the house.

Finally I couldn't take it any longer and I crept out of the
house and followed him on his journey (being very careful not
to be seen.. he was obviously doing important work 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 close 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 higher 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.

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 began to creep
out. He knelt there, letting the drip slowly fill up his makeshift
"cup", as the sun beat down on his little back.

It came clear to me. The trouble he had gotten into for playing
with the hose the week before. The lecture he had received about
the importance of not wasting water was the reason 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 hard to save another 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 exist. That was bound to rain sometime.
I can't argue with that...I'm not going to try.

All I can say is that the rain that came that day saved our farm
just like that actions of one little boy saved another.

In loving memory of my beautiful Billy,
who was taken from me much too soon....
But not before showing me the true face of God,
in a little sunburned body.

~Author Unknown~

http://www.oocities.org/Yosemite/7115/thewater.html

Thank you Teri for sharing this story. :=)

Created on ... June 02, 2000