An Unexpected Ray

After days of cold, rainy weather, we finally had a sunshiny afternoon.  I decided to go soak up some sun rays by studying behind my dorm.  I went across the parking lot and sat by the day care with my back against the fence surrounding the playground area.  Getting all situated, I pulled out my speech class textbook and began reading about oral presentations.  All of the sudden, from behind me, I could hear the pitter-pat of feet on gravel.  Then, with much gusto and friendliness a voice from behind me, "HIIIII!!"  Turning around I saw a little boy, around five, grabbing onto some of the bars on the play set, leaning half-way off, with a smile spread as big as it could go across his face.  "I'm Thomas!! What's YOUR name?" 
     "My name is Emily."
     "Oh. . . Hi Emily!  I'm Thomas!  Want to see how I go down a BIG pole? This is how I go down a big pole."
     "Wow! I always wanted to do that but couldn't.  That's so cool!"
     "Mommy said I could play out here.  Want to see how I go down a BIG sliiide?" 
And Thomas commenced to slide down the slide, getting stuck at the bottom with his legs dangling off from the knee. He squirmed his way off and commenced to run around the play ground.
From then on I had a friend.  A few minutes later his mother called him to go, and I said goodbye, but with no response until he was almost to her.  He looked back, gave the biggest wave, the same massive grin, and yelled "Goodbye!!!"  But our time was not quite over.  He got to the edge of the fence, and played "peek-a-boo" with me as he was waiting for his mother.  He would peek around the fence and as soon as I looked or waved, he would dart back behind the fence with a grin.  And still, at the car, he would peek around the side, make a silly face at me, and then hide again. 
As his mother was driving away she waved, apparently aware of Thomas's new found friend. 

But even though Thomas was gone, his impact wasn't.  I sat chuckling, and pondering.  Thomas, in his child-like way, had poured out his friendliness and touched my life.  When I had walked outside, I had only counted on getting rays from the sun, but Thomas's life was in many ways like a sunray.  His joy of life had shone and touched me, warming my heart as the sun was warming my body.  So often, in our adult formality, we get so caught up in our tasks and ourselves.  Even though Thomas was concerned about his desires and likes, he pulled me into them, and helped me share in the joy of the moment.  We, as adults, get caught up in the menial tasks and forget to do them with joy and to include others in our lives.  That Thursday afternoon, I learned from Thomas.  In my fear of what other people will think, I often fail to be friendly and spread joy.  But no matter what I am doing, I need to let other people into my life and share the joy I have because of Christ.