St.
Paul of the Cross Retreat Center
Thought
for the Day
Listen
To The Whisper
A
young and 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
some kid and pushed him up against a parked car shouting,
"What
was that all about and who are you?
Just
what the heck are you doing?!"
Building
up a head of steam he went on.
"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
tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat.
He lifted
the young man back into the wheelchair,
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.
.
God whispers
in your soul and speaks to your heart.
It's your
choice: Listen to the whisper -- or wait for the brick.
- Author Unknown