One rainy day on a trip to see my grandmother, it was as if the sky had opened and it was raining buckets. My younger brother was showing disappointment because of the weather, wishing it would stop raining. My dad hoping to spark his attention told him he could make it stop raining any time just by snapping his fingers. My younger brother was quick to respond, "No you can’t." My dad was quick to say, "Sure I can, watch this." As we passed under an overpass he would snap his fingers and say, "Stop rain." And as quick as he did, the rain would stop hitting the windshield for a second or two and then he would snap his fingers again and say, "Start rain." And it would again start hitting the windshield. It looked as if he was stopping and starting the rain just by snapping his fingers. It was funny to me and I wondered how long it would take my brother to figure it out. He would say, "Do it again dad." And dad would fill the time with idle words until we came upon another underpass and then say again, "Stop rain." Start rain." And it was as if the rain was under his power. I am not sure my younger brother realized he was encouraging my dad’s humor right away, or if it took him a couple of bridges to figure it out. He waited until he saw no bridges in sight and asked again, "Make it stop again dad." And dad would say, "Not now I am tired." My brother was quick to respond, "No, you just ran out of bridges." We all laughed and it made the long trip shorter and a memory to think back on.

As I came to be a dad myself, and had come to the knowledge of God’s word. I found that being a child of God came with its own inherited powers. I knew I could have the things I prayed for if I would only believe I had them when I prayed. It was a new found understanding and I was quick to pass it on to my children and family and friends. Most of who looked at me as if I had lost my mind. I say most because not everyone thought I was crazy. My oldest son would hang on the words of truth I would tell him and put them into practice. I would tell him as a child of God that his prayers would even change the weather. The faith of a small child takes what you tell as the truth and puts it to the test. If it is the truth, it is something they will keep forever. If not, they will quickly disprove it.

My dad and mom came one day to take my oldest son and his younger brother and they would go and spend the day at the Enchanted Forest, a place where small children can walk through a fairy tale land and live the nursey rhymes and ride rides. For a child it was, an enchanted forest. They had set out early and the day was cloudy and rainy. It did not look as if it would be a good day to spend outdoors, especially with children. My dad was quick to tell them, "It did not look like a good day to spend at the park." It was as if their hopes were about to be dashed of a fun filled day. My oldest son spoke up quickly, "Grand daddy, I know we can pray for it not to rain while we are at the park and it won’t." I am sure my dad at the time was taken back by what he said. At the same time thinking, what had I been teaching my children? My son was quick to pray, and they continued on their way to the Enchanted Forest, hoping to see signs following what he believed when he prayed.

I only know of this story because my dad told me about it. I was not there, and my son was not nearly as impressed with the signs that followed as my dad was. To my son it was what he believed would happen when he prayed.

My dad told me he prayed for it to be nice and sunny, and it rained until they pulled into the parking lot of the Enchanted Forest. At which time the sun appeared and it was absolutely a beautiful day. Fun was had by all and the day was most enchanting. My dad told me, not only was it a beautiful day, but when they had ended their time at the Enchanted Forest, and the boys climb into the back seat and fell asleep, it started once again to rain and it rained all the way home.

A memory that has become a testimony, and got the attention of grandparents and parents as well.

How would the weather man ever know about that?