God Uses Shorts
Writer Author Wendy Toy
Christian Article
:
Encouragement
- Fiction No
The Sunday morning sunshine streamed into the windows of the red brick row home. Already the heat from the day had penetrated into the suffocating rooms and brought squabbles and frustration to all it touched. Perspiration beaded up on Caroline's skin and the drips of sweat made her shirt cling to her moist back. The thick heat that settled all around brought a heaviness to her soul.
Her children sat on the floor, watching cartoons. The fan that faced the living room moved the hot air around and over their bodies, not bringing much relief from the intense heat.
"It's gonna be a hot one today," she said as she leaned back and spread her arms over the side of the overstuffed chair. "Probably a good day to be going to church."
She grabbed a magazine from the coffee table and fanned herself. "Well, let's get you kids to the park before the heat gets unbearable."
She collected her five children and made sure they all had sandals on their feet. She put baby Jacob in the stroller.
Tyrone, Jamal, Evan, and Kyla ran down the street ahead of Caroline and baby Jacob. She watched her children and wondered what her life would have been like if she hadn't taken them in. Seven years ago she and her husband chose to adopt some kids who had special needs.
Tyrone and Kyla came from the same family. He had been a crack baby*, but Kyla had been born while their mother did time in jail. She had no addiction problems.
Jamal, with those big brown eyes, had been another crack baby. He and Tyrone could really get into it sometimes, but all she had to do was remind them to treat each other like brothers. They'd glance at each other, start to giggle and their disagreement fell away.
She looked at Evan, her little man. His mother left the baby alone for hours at a time, not remembering to feed him or change his diaper. His underweight body had begun to show signs of improvement, but he still had some catching up to do. Evan's smile could light up any dreary day for her.
Jacob became the newest addition to the family. His mother been in jail more than she had been home and couldn't decide whether to keep her son or not. Caroline and her husband gave the infant a home and love, while waiting for the mother's decision. He could walk now and had a great capacity for getting into everything.
Then last year came the jolt that turned her world upside down. Caroline's husband left. She had to care for the children, alone.
Caroline shoved the painful thoughts from her mind. She sat on a bench and pushed the baby's stroller back and forth while the kids played on the park equipment. She tried to think of something else. "Least there's some air here," she commented to no one in particular.
"The park looks clean today!" Jamal's wide brown eyes roamed the playground from his seat on the slide.
Caroline wiped a drop of perspiration from her forehead. "The church across the street must have cleaned it again."
She looked around the spruced-up park. The broken glass had been picked up, the trash had been placed in the trash cans and even the vials and bags from the drug deals had disappeared.
"There's music comin' from that building." Tyrone hung upside down from the jungle gym and pointed across the street. "Can we go to church?"
"Now you look at how we're dressed." Caroline's hungry eyes stared at the building. "How are we going to go to church with these clothes on?"
Just then little Kyla tugged at her mom's leg. "Looka that," she said and nodded toward the church.
Across the street a man with a trimmed beard emerged from the white building. He reached up to unlock the doors of the church, then pulled to close them.
"Church must be starting." Caroline sighed. She took Jamal out of his stroller and started toward the swing set.
"But Momma," Tyrone pointed across the street, "that man is wearin' shorts!"
Caroline gazed up at the man. Imagine, wearing shorts to church. Is that even allowed? She glanced at her children, looked down at her own clothes, then made a decision.
"Well, if he can go to church in shorts, then so can we."
Caroline gathered the children together and marched them across the street and up the steps. They walked into the coolness of the church. Once inside, welcoming arms ushered children into Sunday school, while Caroline heard and embraced the truth about Jesus, the Savior.
As Caroline and her children strolled out of the church building, the heaviness of the heat couldn't touch the joy in her heart. She turned and looked again at the church building. I'm not alone anymore, she thought.
Then she smiled. If God will use a guy in shorts to get us into this church, I'm willing to see what He has planned for the rest of my life.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The day that Caroline just happened to be at the park, and the guy in the shorts just happened to step outside to close the church doors, occurred four years ago. She still attends the church that welcomes people who wear shorts. Her growth into the likeness of Christ is a steady climb. Now Caroline not only attends church on Sundays, but prayer meeting on Wednesdays and Bible study on Thursdays. She is discovering what God will do with her life.
Editor's Comment:
About the Writer Author
State:
Pennsylvania
Country:
United States
Email:
Toywriter611@aol.com
Website:
www.toytowntreasures.com
Profile:
Click here!
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