He Was Just a Little Boy In Walmart

"But Jesus said, Suffer little children,

and forbid them not, to come unto me:

for of such is the kingdom of heaven"

~ Matthew 19:14, KJ Bible (Cambridge Ed.)

Today after lunch, we decided on a whim to stop at our local Walmart and pick up a few items before going home. Now, you have to understand we are not Walmart shoppers. When Sam Walton died, our (then) Walmart went through a noticeable change and we didn't like it. Target moved into town and solved the problem of where to shop. So it wasn't normal for us to be pulling into a Walmart parking lot.

My words above, "on a whim", are incorrect. Nothing is ever on a whim. God whispers to our souls and our hearts every day. Sometimes we listen, sometimes we ignore Him thinking we're too busy to be distracted. Today, John and I listened. Our lives were touched because we listened and I thank God for meeting a precocious young man in a buggy. He was not handicapped, he did not appear underprivileged, just a normal four year old loving life.

And that's how we came to notice him. Walking up to our cashier, John saw him standing in a buggy at the neighboring counter whistling hard and loudly. It was apparent he had just learned, for there was a look of pride on his face. John told him he was a fine whistler.

"Hey mister, what's your name?" "My name's John, what's your name?" "My name's Dillon and this is my baby brudder, Logan, but momma calls him Peanut." And he laughed and slapped his jean covered thighs.

I walked up about that time intrigued with this conversation and totally captivated by the life in this child's eyes. They were lit up like he was so in love with life he just could not contain it. He was being such a good child, giving his mother no trouble whatsoever, the energy force around him charged with happiness and laughter. He locked eyes with me and grinned.

"Hey lady, what's your name?" "My name's Nan. How old are you." "I'm four years old and I can whistle!" "I see that!" All this time, his eyes were just dancing and he and John were whistling. I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. "I want to be, I want to be, I want to be the best whistler in the world!" And in that moment, that second, I knew this child had the capability of going far in whatsoever field he desired. He had moxy, as my grandmother used to say. His mother looked tired, the grandmother was elderly and trying to stay out of the mother's way, but all this little boy saw was someone he could share with, the fact he'd learned to whistle, and that life was great.

"Hey! Guess what else I can do? I can rock and roll!" And with this statement, he struck a pose. It was so cute I asked him a couple of times to do it again for me. He was quick to tell us his mom couldn't do it as well as he could. Laughed out loud again, slapping his thighs.

Our cashier had completed our purchase so we told him goodbye and I whispered to him that he could be anyone he could be, to not ever let anyone tell him he wasn't smart enough or good enough. His mother told him to tell us thank you for visiting {smile font} and he waved and told us "good bye!" as we walked away.

We didn't say much walking out to the car. John and I. I was still absorbed with what we'd just witnessed, wondering how God was going to use this child, and us, by our paths crossing. You see, I believe that when we heed those nudges, there's a reason. There is always a reason.

Looking over at John I began to ask if we could pray for that child, and he was already pulling over to a curb. We prayed that God would use him in such a way that the world would be a better place because he lived, that he be brought up in the nurture and admonition of His word, that warrior angels be placed around him, keep his love for life, and we thanked Him for our brief encounter with this child. I don't know why he grabbed our heart strings as he did, but he did.

We have three grandsons and they will always have my heart in the palm of their hands, no matter how large those hands grow. They are being raised to love the King, to follow His word, and they have their needs met. They are a blessing to us, to our family, and to those that know them. I pray the little whistler I met today, Dillon, is blessed with the same.

I wrote this today not for you, but for me. You see, I don't want to forget him. I don't want to forget the light in his eyes and the laughter brimming over from his soul. Each time this post pops up, I'll be able to see it, remember, and pray for him. Pray for a little guy named Dillon that wants to be "the best whistler in the world". Thank you, Father, for that nudge today. It was a blessing, as You knew it would be.

Our three little boy blessings? They're just that, blessings. With summer coming, we'll be seeing more of them! And we cannot wait. May your week be filled with laughter, love, and take time to listen to those nudges ~