The Girl in the Purple Skirt

I saw the most touching thing this morning.

There is an elementary school bus that stops outside my house every day around 8:00 AM. I have to keep extremely close watch after I drop Jake off at school because there are cute little hooligans running around everywhere trying to make it to the bus on time.

So as I was waiting to pull into my driveway I saw the bus pull up and stop and the little kids start to pile onto the bus one by one.

As I was starting to pull into my driveway, I could see a little girl about 5 to 6 years old running her little heart out down the street with her pink princess backpack that was a big as she was flopping back and forth on her little back screaming "wait! wait!" with tears rolling down her cheek. I could see her, but I doubt the bus driver could.

I just thought "That poor little girl is gonna miss the bus even though she is running her heart out to get on it."

The first time I missed the bus for school I bawled.

Then, I saw something that pulled at my heart strings.

There was a girl, maybe 7 with a purple skirt, who was the last in line to get on the bus. As she was walking toward the bus, I noticed she caught a glimpse of that little girl sprinting down the street. I watched this little 7 year old girl take one look at the girl, then the bus, then back to the girl, and then continue to walk towards the bus. Then, she hesitated, and stopped right in her tracks about 6 feet from the bus as all the other kids piled on the bus. I could hear that busdriver yelling at her saying "Comeon! get on the bus! I can't wait forever." But the girl in the purple skirt stood her ground outside that bus until that little pink princess huffed and puffed her way onto that bus, and then followed her on.

Now you may think. OK Kait, that is really cheesy. Seriously? That almost brought you to tears this morning? You are pathetic.

This little seven year old girl in a purple skirt risked her guaranteed spot on the bus to help a friend (or maybe a complete stranger). Although the busdriver couldn't see that little girl with the princess backpack running her heart out, the girl in the purple skirt could. And she knew the busdriver Could see her and communicate with her. So, at possible personal cost, she stood her ground to help someone in need.

Sound familiar yet?

Sometimes in life I feel like that girl with that princess backpack. The stuff packed inside of my backpack of life seems more than I can handle-and it is heavy. But I know that I need to make it on the bus to go anywhere in life, but it just seems so far away, I have too much to carry, and I know I am already past the deadline of when I should have been on the bus. I am running my little heart out crying and just anticipating the worst- that I will be left on the sidewalk alone in my pity because I just couldn't run fast enough.

But then there is the girl in the little purple skirt.

Or should I say, our Savior, Jesus Christ, In his royal robes of violet.

As I was watching this scene unfold this morning, the spirit just spoke so strongly  to me and said "He will wait for you too."

I know that Christ was willing to wait for us, even when it meant it could-and absolutely did- come at great personal cost. Heavenly Father will never leave behind his Only Begotten Son, and Christ will never get on that bus without us as long as we are running to him no matter how long the distance to him is. Christ waits for us in our sins, in our pains, in our trials, in our sicknesses.

"And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities. (Alma 7:11-12 Book of Mormon.)"

That he may know, according to the flesh, how to "run to" His people- according to their infirmities. 

I don't know what everyone's infirmities consist of. But I do know and testify that the Master of all, Jesus Christ, knows how EVERY pain feels, every heartache, every sorrow, every emotion, every sin, every disappointment, every stress.

He loves us. And he does run to us.