Making a Girl Cry

I got a rare privilege today. I got to make a girl cry. I should add (quickly) that they were tears of joy - for a gift.

For those of you reading this who know Kayla Payne, can skip ahead a bit. Those that don't – a quick intro. Kayla is the daughter of Leonard and Carla, my friends and next door neighbors. She is heading off to Harding University later today (as of this post). Kayla was the first baby I ever held, and now she is off to college. I guess that means I'm getting old.

Anyway, I wrote a children's story about something that happened to us (Kayla and me) when she was only about 6 months old. The Reader's Digest version is that when she was really little, she was in the nursery at church crying. I happened to be heading back there and tried to comfort her. When I did, she dove into my arms and grabbed a hold of my tie. For the next hour, she held that tie no matter what. She eventually let me put her on the floor of the nursery. While she would play with a toy with one hand, she held my tie with the other. It was the first time I worked in the nursery. She clung to that tie until her mom came back and picked her up. So, I wrote this up as a kids story and gave it to her today – along with the actual tie she held on to 18 some odd years ago.

When she opened the box, and saw this old tie in there, she looked a bit puzzled. When she saw the "book" under it, she made her mom read it. Carla was crying by the first sentence (not a big surprise for those who know her). By the end, Kayla could only hide her face up to her eyes in her t-shirt and sob. I think this may have been the first time in her life she was actually and honestly speechless. The whole thing meant a lot to her.

The book is called "The Security Tie." I should add a "thanks" to Sandy Treat who did all the illustrations for the book. The basic theme is that God sends you help when you need it, but sometimes in unexpected ways. Also, sometimes YOU are the security tie, with God using you for his purpose. I retold the story of me and Kayla in order to encourage her that even when she is scared, discouraged, or homesick that God won't leave her alone. The actual tie, I hope she will put someplace to remind her of this when things aren't going so good.

So, while I did make a girl cry, it was a good cry.