He was driving along towards his home one evening, on a lonely
country road. Work in this small town was almost as slow as his
beat up old Pontiac. But he never quit looking. Ever since the factory
he had worked at had closed down, he had been unemployed, and with
the onset of winter the chill had finally hit home.
It was a lonely road, not many people had a reason to be on it, unless
they were leaving. Most of his friends had already left. They all had
families to feed and dreams to fulfil. But he stayed on, after all he
had buried his mother and father here, he was born here and knew the
country.
He could travel the road blind, and tell you what was on either side,
and with his headlights not working it was just as well. It was starting
to get dark and a light flurry of snow had started to fall. He should
get a move on and reach home.
He almost didn't see the old lady stranded on the side of the road. But
even in the dim light at the end of the day he could see that she needed
help.
He pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His old Pontiac was
still spluttering as he approached her, and even with the smile on his
face she was worried. Nobody had stopped to help her during 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 here in the cold wind.
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 around under the car looking for a safe point to
jack the car up, skinning his knuckles a few times in the process. Soon
he was changing the tire, getting his hands dirty and cold, and as he
tightened the nuts she rolled down the window and began to talk to him.
She said that she was from St. Louis and that she was just passing
through. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid.
Bryan just smiled as he closed the trunk of the car, and she asked him
how much she owed him for changing the tire. Any amount was fine with
her. She had already imagined all the horrid things that could have
happened to her had he not come to her rescue.
Bryan never thought twice about the money, this was not a job to him,
this was helping somebody in need, and God knows the amount of people
who had given him a helping hand in the past. He had lived his whole
life that way, and it never occurred to him to act in any other way.
He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, that the next
time she saw somebody who needed her help, she should give that
person
the assistance that they needed. He added "and think of me".
He waited while she started her car and drove away. It had been a cold
and depressing day, but he felt good inside as he headed for home.
A few miles down the road the old lady saw a small cafe, She went in to
have something to eat and a hot drink. It was a dingy old place, outside
were two very old petrol 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 to take her order, and brought her a towel to
dry her damp hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even after being on
her feet for hours didn't fade. The old lady noticed that the waitress
was about 8 months pregnant, but that she didn't let the aches, pains
and strains alter her attitude.
The old lady wondered how someone with so little could be so giving to a
stranger. Then she remembered Bryan. After the old lady had finished
her meal and drink, and the waitress had gone away to fetch change for
the old lady's $100 bill, she slipped out of the door quietly. She was gone
by the time the waitress returned.
The waitress wondered where the old lady could have gone, and then
noticed a note left written on the napkin. There were tears in her eyes
as she read what the old lady had written....
It said..."you don't owe me anything, I have been there too. Someone
once helped me out, the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay
me back, here is what you should do, do not let this chain of love end
with you."
There were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill and people to serve, but
the waitress made it through the 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
that money? With the baby due next month it was going to be hard.
She knew how much her husband worried, and as he lay sleeping beside
her she gave him a soft kiss and whispered gently......
"Everything is going to be alright, I love you Bryan."
Today I send you this story..now I am asking you to pass it along to your
family and friends..Let the light shine, don't hide it away.
