A simple gesture
Mark was walking home from school one day when
he noticed that the boy ahead of him had tripped and
dropped all the books he was carrying, along with two
sweaters, a baseball bat, a glove and a small tape
recorder. Mark knelt down and helped the boy pick up
the scattered articles. As they walked, Mark discovered the boy’s name was
Bill, that he loved video games, baseball and history, that he was having a lot
of trouble with his other subjects, and that he had just broken up with his
girlfriend.
Mark went home after dropping Bill at his house. They continued to see each
other around school, had lunch together once or twice, then both graduated
from junior high school. They ended up in the same high school, where they
had brief contacts over the years. Finally the long-awaited senior year came.
Three weeks before graduation, Bill asked Mark if they could talk.
Bill reminded him of the day years ago when they had first met. “Do you
ever wonder why I was carrying so many things home that day?” asked Bill.
“You see, I cleaned out my locker because I didn’t want to leave a mess for
anyone else. I had stored away some of my mother’s sleeping pills and I was
going home to commit suicide. But after we spent some time together talking
and laughing, I realized that if I had killed myself, I would have missed that
memorable moment and so many others that might follow. So you see,
Mark, when you picked up my books that day, you did a lot more. You saved
my life.”
- John W. Schlatter
Everybody can be great.
You only need a heart full of grace and a soul generated by
love.
- Martin Luther
