A young and successful executive was traveling down a
neighborhood street going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He
was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and
slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car
passed, no children appeared. Instead a brick smashed into the
Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and drove the Jag
back to the spot where the brick had been thrown.

The angry driver then jumped out of the car,
grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against
a parked car shouting, "What was that all about and
who are you? Just what the heck are you doing?
That's a new car and that brick you threw is going
to cost me a lot of money. Why did you do it?"

The young boy was apologetic. "Please mister. . .please, I'm
sorry. .I didn't know what else to do. I threw the brick because no
one else would stop." With tears dripping down his face and off
his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. "It's
my brother. He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair
and I can't lift him up." Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned
executive "Would you please help me get him back into his
wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me."

Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the lump in his
throat. He lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair,
then took out his handkerchief and wiped at the fresh scrapes and
cuts. Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy
push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward
home. It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage
was very noticeable but the driver never repaired the dented side
door. He kept the dent to remind him of this message: Don't go
through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to
get your attention.

God whispers to our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes
when we don't take time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us.
Once He has your attention, do you react as angrily as that young
executive did?

This month we have a day designated to remind us to be
thankful. It is a worthwhile endeavor. It would be even better if
we lived each day as a grateful response to the love God has
shown us in Christ. Full forgiveness as a gift is not something we
should take lightly. Gratitude for a Savior from sin and death can
never do too much to help one’s neighbor. Jesus said that what
we do for “the least of these” we do for him.
See how many things you can do this month for someone else
that show your gratitude to God. Don’t wait for someone to
throw a brick at you.

God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow,
sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day,
comfort for the tears, and light for the way.