The CIRCLE of Love

[Guest guest]

Circle of Love!

by: Author Unknown, Source Unknown

You know, he almost didn't see the old lady, stranded on the side of

the road. But even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed

help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His

Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her.

Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped

to help for 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 out there in the cold. He knew how she felt.

It was that chill which only fear can put in you. 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 . "

Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad

enough. crawled under the car looking for a place to put the

jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change

the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt. As he was

tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to

talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only

just passing through. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid.

just smiled as he closed her trunk. She asked him how much she

owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She had

already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he

not stopped.

never thought twice about the money. This was not a job to him.

This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty who

had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that

way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way. He told her

that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw

someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance

that they needed, and added " ...and think of me " .

He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold

and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home,

disappearing into the twilight.

A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to

grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last

leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were

two old gas 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.

Her waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair.

She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole

day couldn't erase. The lady noticed that the waitress was nearly

eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change

her attitude.

The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving

to a stranger. Then she remembered .

After the lady finished her meal, and the waitress went to get change

for her hundred dollar bill, the lady slipped right out the door. She

was gone by the time the waitress came back. She wondered where the

lady could be, then she noticed something written on the napkin under

which was 4 $100 bills. There were tearsin her eyes when she read what

the lady wrote. It said " You don't owe me anything, I have been there

too. Somebody once helped me out, the way I'm helping you. If you

really want to pay me back, here is what you do Do not let this chain

of love end with you. " Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls

to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another

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 it? With the baby

due next month, it was going to be hard. She knew how worried her

husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft

kiss and whispered soft and low,

" Everything's gonna be all right; I love you, . "