About ten years ago, a young and very successful
executive named Josh was traveling down a Chicago neighborhood street. He was going a bit
too fast in his sleek, black, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE, which was only two months old. 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 child darted out, but a brick sailed out and --WHUMP! -- It smashed
into the Jag's shiny black side door! SCREECH!!!! Brakes slammed! Gears ground into
reverse, and tires madly spun the Jaguar back to the spot from where the brick had been
thrown.
Josh jumped out of the car, grabbed the kid and pushed him up against a parked car.
He shouted at the kid, "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 my new Jag,
that brick you threw is gonna cost you a lot of money. Why did you throw 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 would stop!"
Tears were dripping down the boy's chin as he pointed around the parked car. "It's my
brother, mister," 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 young executive tried desperately to swallow the rapidly swelling
lump in his throat. Straining, he lifted the young man back into the wheel chair and took
out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapes and cuts, checking to see that everything was
going to be OK.
He then watched the younger brother push him down the sidewalk toward their home. It was a
long walk back to the sleek, black, shining, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE- a long and slow walk.
Josh never did fix the side door of his Jaguar. He kept the dent to remind him not to go
through life so fast that someone or someOne has to throw a brick at him to get his
attention.
Some bricks are softer than others. Feel for the bricks of life coming at you. "..My
son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by
Him. For the Lord disciplines those whom He loves and chastises every son whom He
receives." - Hebrews 12:5-6
