I ran into a stranger as he passed by, “Oh excuse me please,” was my reply. He said, “Please excuse me too; I wasn’t watching for you.” We were very polite. We went on our way saying good-bye.
But see the contrast at home . Have you wondered how We treat our loved ones, young and old ? Later that day, cooking the evening meal, my son stood beside me very still. As I turned, I nearly knocked him down. “Move out of the way,” I said with a frown. He walked away, his little heart broken. I didn’t realize how harshly I’d spoken.
While I lay awake in bed, God’s still small voice came to me and said, “While dealing with a stranger, you have all the courtesy , but for the children you love, you seem to abuse. Go and look on the kitchen floor, you’ll find some flowers there by the door. Those are the flowers he brought for you. He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue. He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise, and you never saw the tears that filled his little eyes.”
By this time, I felt very small, and now my tears began to fall. I quietly went and knelt by his bed, “Wake up, little one, wake up,” I said. “Are these the flowers you picked for me?” He smiled, “I found them , out by the tree. I picked them because they’re pretty like you. I knew you’d like them, especially the blue.” I said, “Son, I’m very sorry for the way I treated you today; I shouldn’t have yelled at you that way.” He said, “Oh, Mom, that’s okay. I love you anyway.” I said, “Son, I love you too, and I do like the flowers, especially the blue one.”
Are you aware that if we leave this world tomorrow, the company that we are working for will forget you in a matter of days by replacing you , but the family we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives. And come to think of it,we pour ourselves more into work than to our own family , really an unwise investment . don’t you think ?
So what is behind the story? Do you know what the word FAMILY means? FAMILY = (F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER, (I) (L)OVE (Y)OU!
A young successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when 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 spun the Jag back to the spot from where the brick had been thrown. He jumped out of the car, grabbed the kid standing there and pushed him up against a parked car shouting, 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?”
“Please, mister, please. I’m sorry, I didn’t know what else to do,” pleaded the youngster. “I threw the brick because no one else would stop…” Tears were dripping down the boy’s chin as he pointed around the 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.” Sobbing, the boy asked the 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 lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapes and cuts, checking to see that everything was going to be okay. “Thank you and may God bless you,” the grateful child said to him. The man then watched the little boy push his brother down the sidewalk toward their home. It was a long walk back to his jaguar….a long, slow walk. He never did repair the side door. He kept the dent to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention.
Lessons from the Story :
“God whispers in your soul and speaks to your heart. Sometimes when you don’t have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at you. It’s your choice: Listen to the whisper – or wait for the brick.”
