The Brick

I got this from my sister yesterday.  Since she's not one to pass along "email forwards" I figured it must have been a good one.  It was.  I had seen it before, but even reading it the second time brought tears to my eyes.

If you know me, you know that I hate "anonymous" forwards.  I know that when words are put together well, there was a real person behind them - someone with a name. 

I searched the internet trying to discover the author of these words, to no avail.  If you know who wrote them, I will gladly give him/her credit.  I know they didn't write themselves.

The Brick

A young and successful executive drove down

a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in

his new Jaguar. He watched for kids darting

out from between parked cars and slowed

downwhen he thought he saw something.

As his car passed, no children appeared. 

Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side

door!  He slammed on the brakes and backed

the Jag back to the spot where the brick had

been thrown.

The angry driverthen jumped out of the car,

grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up

againsta parked car shouting, "What was that

all about and who are you?  Just what the

heck are you doing?  That's a new car and that

brick you threw is going to cost a lot of

money.  Why did you do it?"

The young boy was apologetic.  "Please,

mister...please.  I'm sorry but I didn't know

what else to do," he pleaded.  "I threw the

brick because no one else would stop..."

With tears dripping down his face and off his

chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a

parked car.  "It's my brother," he explained. 

"He rolled off the curb and fell out of his

wheelchair and I can't lift him up."

Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned

executive, "Would you please help me get him

back into his wheelchair?  He's hurt and he's

too heavy for me."

Moved beyond words, the driver tried to

swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his

throat.  He hurriedly lifted the handicapped

boy back into the wheelchair, then took out a

linen 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 told the stranger.

Too shook up for words, the man simply

watched the boy push his wheelchair-bound

brother down the sidewalk toward their home.

The damage was very noticeable, but the

driver 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!"

God whispers in our souls and speaks to our

hearts.  Sometimes when we don't have time

to listen, He has to throw a brick at us.  It's

our choice to listen or not.

Thought for the Day:

be on it.

If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it.

He sends you a sunrise every morning Face it,

friend - He is crazy about you!

without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did

promise strength for the day, comfort for the

tears, and light for the way.

through it.