'Warm weather fosters growth; cold weather destroys it. Thus a man with an unsympathetic temperment has scant joy; but a man with a warm and friendly heart has overflowing blessings, and his beneficence will extend to posterity.' Hung Tzu-ch'eng Chinese Zen Buddhist monk

The Brick

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 backed the Jag back 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 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 said '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..

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

 

I wonder if this is true, but I guess it really doesn't matter.

When I read this story I can't help to realize how many bricks it has taken me to 

GET IT TOGETHER!

I have a major tendency to pull into my little world and stay there.

I have given many homeless people food and a few dollars here and there

but when I see them on the corner holding signs I feel no pity.

The only thing I think of are the people that are making more than I do each year

by holding signs & pretending to be in need.

When I want to donate my nice clothing to a women's shelter,

I am told that they only accept things that are new.

When I rent property to people on HUD,

I normally end up regretting it.

When I try to help someone who needs it,

I usually get burned.

It's things like that that make us a hard, cold society.

We all are very aware that it's the people with a huge lack of respect 

who end up ruining it for everyone else

Causing us in turn to be very disrespectful and uncaring.

But maybe it is the small things that you can do for eachother,

the things we think don't mean that much. 

Mowing someones lawn because you can,

making a little extra for dinner and taking it to a friend,

a couple cookies and a card.

Helping someone reach the top shelf at the grocery store,

smiling at a stranger.

Maybe it's those little things that will help us to see the big picture

and give us the strength to take on the big things. 

Maybe if we are constantly working on making the little things a habit

the big things will just fall into place!

And we wont need a brick in the side to help us get back on track...

Just maybe...