A doctor said to his patient: "You have a slight heart condition, but I wouldn't
worry about it."
"Really, Doc?" The patient replied. "Well, if you had a slight heart condition I
wouldn't worry about it either."
Many people believe that most of the world is more or less out for themselves
and that most people care little about the plight of others. I choose to believe
that most people are basically concerned about others, even if they don't always
know how to express it. That is perhaps why a certain story, clipped years ago
and filed away, has remained one of my favorites to this day.
A trucker relates that he was traveling through rural North Carolina on I-95
when a brown sedan merged onto the highway. It weaved back and forth between
lanes, causing the driver of the truck to shift into a lower gear. At first he
thought the driver was drunk, but when he came closer, the trucker saw an old
man shaking uncontrollably behind the wheel. He noticed a Citizen's Band aerial
whipping to and fro as the car jerked between lanes, so he called on the radio:
"You in the brown Chevy, if you can hear me, pull over. Pull off the road!"
Amazingly, he did! The trucker pulled up behind the car and climbed from his
cab. The elderly man staggered from his auto and fell into the trucker's hands.
He poured out a story of months of fear and pain that accompanied the illness of
his only daughter. Now he was returning from the hospital where it was decided
that she would cease any further treatment. In the hospital he remained "strong"
and stoic for his daughter, but out on the road he fell apart.
The two men talked for the good part of an hour. The father eventually decided
to share his pain with his daughter and said he felt good enough to drive home.
The men embraced and the trucker followed him for 50 miles. As they drove along,
the two talked together on the radio.
The older man finally acknowledged that his exit was ahead and thanked his new
friend again for the help. The trucker asked if he could make it home all right
and, suddenly, a third voice broke in on the conversation: "Breaker 19, don't
worry, good buddy. Go your way. I'll see him home!"
Glancing in his rearview mirror, he saw a livestock truck move into the exit
lane behind the brown sedan.
There are good people the world over. Some may be strangers to you, some as
close as your own family. It helps to know that the world is full of people who
will gladly give that caring touch, a needed warm embrace or a patient and
listening ear. They are like angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have
trouble remembering how to fly.
Look around, for they are everywhere. And quite likely, you will even spot one
in the mirror!
Thanks to Steve Goodier
http://www.LifeSupportSystem.com
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
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The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.