RE: Beautiful soul

[Guest guest]

Subject: The Beautiful Soul

> > >

> > > > Our house was directly across the street from the clinic

entrance of

> > > > s Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. We lived downstairs and

rented

> the upstairs rooms to out patients at the clinic.

> > > >

> > > > One summer evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock

at

the

> > > > door. I opened it to see a truly awful looking man. " Why, he's

hardly

> > > > taller than my eight-year-old, " I thought as I stared at the

stooped, shriveled body. But the appalling thing was his face,

lopsided

from

> > > > swelling, red and raw. Yet his voice was pleasant as he said,

" Good

> > > > evening. I've come to see if you've a room for just one night.

I

came for a treatment this morning from the eastern shore, and there's

no

> bus 'til morning. "

> > > >

> > > > He told me he'd been hunting for a room since noon but with no

> success, no one seemed to have a room. " I guess it's my face... I

know it

looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more treatments... "

> > > >

> > > > For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me: " I

could

> > > > sleep in this rocking chair on the porch. My bus leaves early

in the

> > > > morning. " I told him we would find him a bed, but to rest on

the

> porch. I went inside and finished getting supper. When we were

ready,

I

asked the old man if he would join us. " No thank you. I have plenty. "

And

he held up a brown paper bag.

> > > >

> > > > When I had finished the dishes, I went out on the porch to

talk

with

> him a few minutes. It didn't take a long time to see that this old

man

had an oversized heart crowded into that tiny body. He told me he

fished

> for a living to support his daughter, her five children, and her

husband, who was hopelessly crippled from a back injury.He didn't tell

it by

> way of complaint; in fact, every other sentence was preface with a

thanks to God for a blessing. He was grateful that no pain

accompanied

his

> > > > disease, which was apparently a form of skin cancer. He

thanked

God

> for giving him the strength to keep going. At bedtime, we put a camp

cot

> in the children's room for him.

> > > >

> > > > When I got up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly

folded

and

> the little man was out on the porch. He refused breakfast, but just

before he left for his bus, haltingly, as if asking a great favor, he

said,

> > > > Could I please come back and stay the next time I have a

treatment?

I > > > won't put you out a bit. I can sleep fine in a chair. " He

paused a

> > > > moment and then added,Your children made me feel at home.

Grownups

are bothered by my face, but children don't seem to mind. " I told him

he

> was welcome to come again.

> > > >

> > > > On his next trip he arrived a little after seven in the

morning. As

a > > > gift, he brought a big fish and a quart of the largest

oysters

I had

> > > > ever seen. He said he had shucked them that morning before he

left

so > > > that they'd be nice and fresh. I knew his bus left at 4:00

a.m. and

I > > > > wondered what time he had to get up in order to do this for

us.

> > > >> In the years he came to stay overnight with us there was

never

a

time > that he did not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables from his

> garden.

> > > >

> > > > Other times we received packages in the mail, always by

special

> > > > delivery; fish and oysters packed in a box of fresh young

spinach or

> > > > kale, every leaf carefully washed. Knowing that he must walk

three

> miles to mail these, and knowing how little money he had made the

gifts

> doubly precious. When I received these little remembrances, I often

thought

> of a comment our next-door neighbor made after he left that first

> morning. " Did you keep that awful looking man last night? I turned

him away!

> You can lose roomers by putting up such people! " Maybe we did lose

roomers once or twice. But oh! If only they could have known him,

perhaps

their illness' would have been easier to bear.

> > > >

> > > > I know our family always will be grateful to have known him;

from

him we learned what it was to accept the bad without complaint and he

good with gratitude to God.

> > > >

> > > > Recently I was visiting a friend who has a greenhouse, As she

showed

me

> > > > her flowers, we came to the most beautiful one of all, a

golden

> > > > chrysanthemum, bursting with blooms. But to my great surprise,

it

was

> > > > growing in an old dented, rusty bucket. I thought to myself,

" If

this

> > > > were my plant, I'd put it in the loveliest container I had! "

> > > >

> > > > My friend changed my mind. " I ran short of pots, " she

explained, and

> > > > knowing how beautiful this one would be, I thought it wouldn't

mind

> > > > starting out in this old pail. It's just for a little while,

till I

> can

> > > > put it out in the garden. "

> > > >

> > > > She must have wondered why I laughed so delightedly, but I was

> imagining

> > > > just such a scene in heaven. " Here's an especially beautiful

one, "

God

> > > > might have said when he came to the soul of the sweet old

fisherman.

> " He

> > > > won't mind starting in this small body. "

> > > >

> > > > All this happened long ago -- and now, in God's garden, how

tall

this

> > > > lovely soul must stand. The LORD does not look at the things

man

looks

> > > > at.

> > > >

> > > > Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the

heart. "

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > Friends are very special. They make you smile and encourage

you

to

> > > > succeed. They lend an ear and they share a word of praise.

> > > >I thought this was a great story....Kathi in OK