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Jesus
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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 Bryan."
Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad
enough. Bryan 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. Bryan 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. Bryan 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 Bryan 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 Bryan. 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 bills. There were tears in 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, Bryan."
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