1 Peter 1:18-19 (NIV)
18 For you know that it was not with perishable things
such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed
down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a
lamb without blemish or defect.
A few 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 going
to 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 else 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 wheelchair 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 has to throw a brick at him to get his attention...
..... Some bricks are softer than others. Let’s look for
the bricks of life coming at / to us today.
Dear Lord, we pray that we will not be so busy that we
don’t see those around us that need our help. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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