Guest guest Posted April 9, 2002 Report Share Posted April 9, 2002 >Subject: Food for Thought > > > > This is a replay, but what the heck. > > > > Subject: Food for Thought > > This will either make you cry, give you cold chills or leave you cold, > > But it does put life into perspective! > > > > At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled >children, > > the father of one of the school's students delivered a speech that would > > never be forgotten by all who attended. > > > > After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a >question. > > > > " Everything God does is done with perfection. Yet, my son Shay cannot >learn > > things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other >children > > do. Where is God's plan reflected in my son? " > > > > The audience was stilled by the query. The father continued. > > " I believe, " the father answered, " that when God brings a child like >Shay > > into the world, an opportunity to realize the Divine Plan presents >itself > > and it comes in the way people treat that child. " > > > > Then, he told the following story: > > > > Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew >were > > playing baseball. Shay asked, " Do you think they will let me play? " > > > > Shay's father knew that most boys would not want him on their team. But >the > > father understood that if his son were allowed to play it would give him >a > > much-needed sense of belonging. > > > > Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked if Shay > > could play. The boy looked around for guidance from his teammates. >Getting > > none, he took matters into his own hands and said, " We are losing by six > > runs, and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our >team >and > > we'll try to put him up to bat in the ninth inning. " > > > > In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but >was > > still behind by three. > > > > At the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the > > outfield. Although no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just >to > > be on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him >from > > the stands. > > > > In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with >two > > outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base. > > > > Shay was scheduled to be the next at-bat. Would the team actually let >Shay > > bat at this juncture and give away their chance to win the game? > > > > Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all >but > > impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, >much > > less connect with the ball. > > > > However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher moved a few steps >to > > lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least be able to make contact. >The > > first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again >took > > a few steps forward to toss the ball softly toward Shay. As the pitch >came > > in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball to the pitcher. > > > > The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could easily have thrown the > > ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have > > ended the game. Instead, the pitcher took the ball and threw it on a >high > > arc to right field, far beyond reach of the first baseman. > > > > Everyone started yelling, " Shay, run to first, run to first. " > > > > Never in his life had Shay ever made it to first base. He scampered down >the > > baseline, wide-eyed and startled. > > > > Everyone yelled, " run to second, run to second! " > > By the time Shay was rounding first base, the right fielder had the >ball. >He > > could have thrown the ball to the second baseman for a tag. But the >right > > fielder understood what the pitcher's intentions had been, so he threw >the > > ball high and far over the third baseman's head. Shay ran towards second > > base as the runners ahead of him deliriously circled the bases towards >home. > > > > As Shay reached second base, the opposing shortstop ran to him, turned >him > > in the direction of third base, and shouted, " run to third! " As Shay >rounded > > third, the boys from both teams were screaming, " Shay! run home! " Shay >ran > > home, stepped on home plate and was cheered as the hero for hitting a > " grand > > slam " and winning the game for his team. > > > > " That day, " said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, > > " the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of the Divine Plan into >this > > world. " > > > > And now, a footnote to the story. We all send thousands of jokes through > > e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending messages > > regarding life choices, people think twice about sharing. The crude, >vulgar, > > and sometimes the obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public > > discussion of decency is too often suppressed in school and the >workplace. > > > > If you are thinking about forwarding this message, you are probably >thinking > > about which people on your address list aren't the " appropriate " ones to > > receive this type of message. The person who sent this to you > > believes that we can all make a difference. We all have thousands of > > opportunities a day to help realize God's plan. So many seemingly >trivial > > interactions between two people present us with a choice, do we pass >along >a > > spark of the Divine? > > Or do we pass up that opportunity and leave the world a bit colder in >the > > process? > > > > You have two choices now: > > > > 1. Delete this. > > 2. Forward it to the people you care about. > > > > You know the choice I made. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.