Saturday, May 31, 2008

MESSAGE #424 - THE BRICK

An extremely successful young executive was traveling a bit too fast down a neighborhood street in his new Jaguar.

He was closely watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something.

All of a sudden, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door!

He slammed on the brakes and backed-up his car to the spot where the brick had been thrown.

The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car and screamed, "What are you doing?”

The young boy was apologetic. "Please mister, I'm sorry. I just didn't know what else to do. I threw the brick because no one else would stop"

With tears dripping down his face, the young boy pointed to a spot just around a parked car.

"It's my brother," he said, "He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up. I think he’s hurt."

Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's too heavy for me."

The young executive hurriedly lifted the boy back into his wheelchair, then took out his fancy handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay.

"Thank you and may God bless you," the grateful child said to the stranger.

Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the little boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their house.

It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar.

The damage was very noticeable.

Years passed and the young executive never bothered to repair the dented side door.

He kept the dent there to remind him of this message: Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!