Eight-year-old Lisa Sue hurriedly exits the church van and waves goodbye to the handful of kids that are on the bus. Brother Charles and his wife Brenda, who are bus workers, always make sure that Lisa Sue gets home safely.  “Mama, Mama where are you?” she says as she scampers up the steps. “Mama, look at the picture of Jesus I made at Sunday school.”

Lisa’s mom is suffering from a huge hangover, and she has a splitting headache. She tells Lisa to go away and let her sleep awhile.  Tears well up in Lisa’s eyes and trickle down delicate rosy cheeks, falling gently on to the crayon picture of Jesus. “Mama, you promised to go to church with me tonight, will you please take me?” “Not tonight, Lisa, Mama is sick.”

Lisa begs, “Please Mama, church is for people who love Jesus.”  “Go away!” screams Lisa’s mom. “I cannot go to church tonight!” Heartbroken, Lisa runs out of the house and out into the road. Suddenly, bam, a speeding car hits Lisa and she falls to the pavement. Traffic comes to a halt. 

Lisa’s mom hears the accident. She rushes to Lisa’s side and cradles her in her arms. Lisa Sue opens her soft brown eyes and smiles at her mama and starts to say something through trembling lips, but sighs deeply and passes into eternity.  Sitting in the road, Lisa’s mom rocks her gently in her arms mumbling over and over, “Lisa, honey, please don’t die. Mama will take you to church tonight, Lisa, please don’t die!”

Lisa’s mom had a change of heart too late. The picture of Jesus that Lisa made still haunts her mom twenty years later. She sits in a rocking chair holding the picture and repeating her words of that fateful day, “Lisa, Mama will take you to church tonight. I’ll take you to church tonight.”