Braylon Emmanuel Russ ~ 8/8/02

Braylon waited 3 weeks for a movie to come out on DVD. That’s a long time for a 9 year old to keep a wad of money. So long story short, he spent it a few days before the movie was released, but had earned it back shortly, with his allowance from the month prior: $15.  What movie?  The one he got to see with his Gamma & Dad in October, on the Big Screen.  It was during her visit from Texas; a very special memory they shared. He LOVED this movie…Courageous. It was one of very few PG-13 movies we’ve let him see, but we made that exception because of its Christ-centered message.

So instead of buying it myself while he was at school, I waited. I wanted to see his expression & watch him pay for it himself with his money and be satisfied. I withdrew the $15 from the bank and picked him up, handed him the Chase bank envelope and off we went to Fred Meyer to purchase his FAVORITE movie.

We park, & he examines the envelope and notices my debit card & drivers license were still in there, so took them out & then we all three almost dance into the entrance, we’re so excited.  We got to the Electronics Dept., saw the movie on the shelf, and he grabbed it with a huge smile. Then he went to pull the envelope out from under his jacket (where he’d stuffed it to keep it from getting wet in the rain)…and it was not there. I saw him looking around for it and was tempted to get on his case, “how could you have lost it from the car to here? In 2 minutes?” but I refrained.  I felt the Lord telling me to not be hard on him…but rather, help him. We looked for that envelope along the path we walked and in the car 2 or 3 times over. And explained what happened, to John the manager there, who had asked.  I noticed Bray didn’t have his soda in his hand & had left it on the counter when we’d gone to retrace our steps, but it was gone now too. But John said that was his fault and told us we could get ourselves a free one at the Deli, on him.

He wished us luck in finding the money. Even said that if it went to regular price, he’d honor the sale price for us once we find it.  And I thought to myself, “Nice guy. I just wish he’d just give us $15. That’d be awesome. But yeah, right.” Then I thought… “That envelope is no where to be found. Someone had to have picked it up off the ground in the parking lot and ran off with it”.

I was sad for my B-man when I looked his way & saw that his eyes were getting watery. But I was not giving up quite yet. Just standing close by the shopping carts wondering what to do and was about to ask him if he had prayed yet, when John, that same big, bald, smiley guy in a shiny tie came prancing over to us.

He gave me and Braylon a small card and on it read, $15.00 – a Fred Meyer gift card that he had gone out of his way to authorize & give to this little boy he’d just met. I immediately hugged him – this big man I didn’t know. And the thought that replayed in my mind, “I wish he’d just give us $15.00″ made me begin to cry. How kind of a stranger to do this. How selfish was I to wish it? And yet how full of grace was God to hear me and within one minute, make a way?  How merciful of Him to see the mistake Braylon made of stashing it under his jacket where it could slip right out…and use an even better way that we could’ve thought – the kindness of someone else – to let us have the joy of finding it again. No shame or condemnation. No “I told you…”. Just the love of a Father.

John laughed it off and pushed me a little bit,  ”Oh, it’s OK…stop that cryin’.” his voice faded as he walked back to his register.  And I stayed there hidden from view as Braylon followed him right back to the electronics dept. and bought the movie from him.

But that wasn’t the best part.

Not a minute passed, when my phone rang. Braylon was walking toward me with the movie in hand and a smile on his face.

“This is Stephanie from Chase Bank. Did you happen to lose an envelope with some money in it?” I was beside myself & started crying again while I explained the entire last 20 minutes to her including that God answered my prayer – not once, but twice!  She said that someone had found it on the ground and stopped by & noticed that the withdrawal receipt was still in the envelope – and had my name on it.

The kids stood by me, perplexed, as I listened to her. “Mom, why are you crying?!?! Who is that?” they kept asking. And after the call, I told Bray what had happened with the envelope. I got down to his eye-level and said to him “Do you see how much God cares about you!? He listens to our prayers! He sees past our mistakes! He loves you so much!”

He just nodded and smiled, “YEP!”

Braylon, Angel & I walked into Chase Bank to collect our lost $15 (we were the only customers there at the time, among 5 tellers and 2 desk agents). The tellers were all standing close to each other awaiting our arrival like it was a surprise party or something, and their faces all seemed to light up when they saw us.

After thanking them, it was back to Fred Meyer & Starbucks.  We had a greeting card to pick out, write in & and give to someone very special – with some money in it too – as a little THANK YOU. In the card, which Bray wrote in his best cursive, we made sure to mention, once again, how God gave us a DOUBLE-answer to our prayer (just in case he didn’t know)!  And finally, our 5 minute errand came to a close as we stopped by his dept. once more and handed it to an associate to give to him.

I love the love of the Father.

At times, it is overwhelming. It is gentle and sweet. It reminds me that I should have more grace with my children…and take the time they need, to help them. It is unchanging.

It proves he hears and cares and wants to use anyone and everyone that will listen to his voice, to accomplish His will, for His glory. There may be no greater feeling than to be in the middle of a story of His amazing grace and mercy.