26-09-2004, 09:55 AM
He almost didn't see the old lady, stranded on the side of the
But even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So
he
pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was
still
sputtering when he approached her.
Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had
stopped
to help for the last hour or so .... was he going to hurt her? He
didn't
look safe; he looked poor and hungry.
He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the
cold.
He knew how she felt. It was that chill which only fear can put in
you..
He said, "I'm here to help you, ma'am. Why don't you wait in the
car
where it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan."
Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was
bad
enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the
jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to
change
the
tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.
As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window
and
began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and
was
only
just passing through. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to
her aid.
Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. She asked him how much
she
owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She
already
imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not
stopped.
Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to
him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were
plenty
who
had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that
way,
and it never occurred to him to act any other way.
He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next
time
she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the
assistance
they needed, and, Bryan added, "Think of me."
He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a
cold
and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home,
disappearing
into the twilight.
A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in
to
grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the
last
leg of
her
trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old
gas
pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The cash register
was
like the telephone of an out-of-work actor-it didn't ring much.
The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet
hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for
the
whole
day couldn't erase. The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight
months
pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her
attitude.
The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so
giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan. After the lady
finished her
meal, and the waitress went to get change for her hundred dollar
bill,
the
lady slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the
waitress
came
back. The waitress wondered where the lady could be.
Then she noticed something written on the napkin, under which were
four $100 bills. There were tears in her eyes when she read what
the
lady
wrote: "You don't owe me anything. I have been there too. Somebody
once
helped me out, the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay
me
back,
here
is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you."
Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people
to
serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night
when
she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking
about
the
money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known
how
much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month,
it
was
going to be hard.. She knew how worried her husband was, and as he
lay
sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft
and
low,
"Everything is going to be all right. I love you, Bryan."
There is an old saying "What goes around comes around." "Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know
what it will bring back: a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new
country."
COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS DAILY, AND FORGET YOUR TROUBLES
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the
moments that take our breath away.
Courage is a decision, Fear is a reaction!
But even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So
he
pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was
still
sputtering when he approached her.
Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had
stopped
to help for the last hour or so .... was he going to hurt her? He
didn't
look safe; he looked poor and hungry.
He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the
cold.
He knew how she felt. It was that chill which only fear can put in
you..
He said, "I'm here to help you, ma'am. Why don't you wait in the
car
where it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan."
Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was
bad
enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the
jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to
change
the
tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.
As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window
and
began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and
was
only
just passing through. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to
her aid.
Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. She asked him how much
she
owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She
already
imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not
stopped.
Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to
him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were
plenty
who
had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that
way,
and it never occurred to him to act any other way.
He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next
time
she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the
assistance
they needed, and, Bryan added, "Think of me."
He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a
cold
and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home,
disappearing
into the twilight.
A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in
to
grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the
last
leg of
her
trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old
gas
pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The cash register
was
like the telephone of an out-of-work actor-it didn't ring much.
The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet
hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for
the
whole
day couldn't erase. The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight
months
pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her
attitude.
The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so
giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan. After the lady
finished her
meal, and the waitress went to get change for her hundred dollar
bill,
the
lady slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the
waitress
came
back. The waitress wondered where the lady could be.
Then she noticed something written on the napkin, under which were
four $100 bills. There were tears in her eyes when she read what
the
lady
wrote: "You don't owe me anything. I have been there too. Somebody
once
helped me out, the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay
me
back,
here
is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you."
Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people
to
serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night
when
she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking
about
the
money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known
how
much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month,
it
was
going to be hard.. She knew how worried her husband was, and as he
lay
sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft
and
low,
"Everything is going to be all right. I love you, Bryan."
There is an old saying "What goes around comes around." "Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know
what it will bring back: a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new
country."
COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS DAILY, AND FORGET YOUR TROUBLES
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the
moments that take our breath away.
Courage is a decision, Fear is a reaction!