May 10, 2004..... A typical Springtime Monday in Tennessee. Warm, humid and the sound of thunder is not to far away.

It's finally 5pm and I go home from a day of typical crises, aggravation, and things that seem to be really important, but aren't. I know that we will need to rush to eat supper so that we can get to Kinsey's T-Ball game in time.

But as I go in the house, a smile creeps across my face as I feel raindrops hit my head. Maybe the rain will get here before the first pitch. I hide the smile before I go through the door.

Ashley is running around the kitchen getting supper ready. Jill has come in from doing yard work and Kinsey is watching TV in the kitchen, waiting to eat.

Kinsey is a perfect example of how great and powerful God is. She is such a wonderful gift from God and I acknowledge it everyday in my prayers. She has the ability to turn a bad day into something magical. Her big blue eyes are full of life and sparkle. She is truly an angel on Earth to me.

We sit down and give thanks to God for our supper and begin to eat. As we do, I hear it start to rain harder. I ask Kinsey if she is upset because the T-Ball game is rained out and she replies not really. Great, I think to myself. We slipped by another one.

After supper, Jill and Ashley leave to go on some business. Kinsey and I go outside to the garage and watch it rain for a second, when a thought occurs. I asked her if she would like to ride her bicycle in the garage. She thinks that will be fun going in circles. Soon she wants me to get on the other bicycle and ride in circles with her.

Now I don't know about you, but a 51 year old man can only ride so many times in a circle with out getting so dizzy that he becomes a danger to himself as well as anybody or anything around. I suggest to Kinsey that I get in the center of the garage and she can ride around me. That idea works, but as children are, we have to turn it into a game. She wants to see how many times she can ride around me.

Now that is OK with me, but as she tries with all the determination she can muster, I am standing there scared to death that she is going to run into the wall, the freezer, the steps, or me and get hurt. After the 82nd time of going around me, she finally gets tired.

I sit down at the edge of the garage door and she comes and sits in my lap. We talk about the birds that are in the front yard, running around trying to find worms during the rain. She asks several questions, as she should, being a child. Why are the birds in the yard? Why do they eat worms? Is that their supper? I wonder what a worm would taste like? Have I ever eaten any worms?

It starts to thunder loudly now and she curls up a little in my lap. She asks me did I know what thunder was? It is God's angels bowling up in heaven, she says. I asked her how she knew that and she replied, "Her Nana, told her that. Her Nana knows everything."

The thunder gets louder and we start seeing strokes of lightening. She makes the comment that there are a bunch of angels getting strikes now, as she gets a little uneasy about the loud noise. I hold her a little more tightly and tell her not to be afraid, that I was there to protect her.

In all of the innocence of a child she wants to know if she can ask me a question. Of course, I replied.

She asks, "When we get to heaven will we be able to see everybody?" I replied, "Yes we will." She asks, "Will she be able to see her "Grandmamma" and I reply, "Yes, you will see everyone." "Will we be able to talk to them and laugh and play?" Again, I replied yes, thinking how innocent a child is and how close they are to God without really knowing it. "Why doesn't everyone want to go to heaven?" "Are there flowers in heaven?" "Will we get to talk to Jesus?" "Is Heaven in the clouds?" And finally she asks, " Can you and I hold hands and play in Heaven like we do here?" I fight the tears in my eyes and answer her,"Yes, you and I will always hold hands and play!"

She puts her arm around my neck and holds on to me assured that I will be with her always. We both watch the rain in silence.

Isn't God wonderful? How can anyone doubt that there is a God, with all of the beauty on Earth? How can anyone doubt that there is a God, holding on to something as precious as a child?