friendship

[Guest guest]

A story is told about a soldier who finally coming home after having

fought in Vietnam. He called his parents from San Francisco. " Mom and

Dad, I'm coming home, but I've got a favor to ask. I have a friend I'd

like to bring with me. " " Sure, " they replied, " we love to meet him. " " He

was hurt pretty bad in the fighting. He stepped on a land mine and lost

an arm and a leg. He had nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live

with us. " " I'm sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find

somewhere to live, " " NO, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us. "

" Son, " said the father, " you don't know what you're asking. Someone with

such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our lives to

live, and we can't let something like this interferes with our lives. I

think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He'll find a

way to live on his own " . At this point, the son hung up the phone. The

parents heard nothing more from him. A few days later, however, they

received a call from the San Francisco police. Their son had died after

falling from a building, they were told. The police believed it was

suicide. The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were taken

to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized

him, but to their horror they also discovered something they didn't know,

their son had only one arm and one leg. The parents in this story are

like many of us. We find it easy to love those who are good-looking or

fun to have around, but we don't like people who inconvenience us or make

us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who aren't

as healthy, beautiful, or smart as we are. Thankfully, there's someone

who won't treat us that way. Someone who loves us with an unconditional

love that welcomes us into the forever family, regardless of how messed

up we are. Tonight, before you tuck yourself in for the night, say a

little prayer that God will give you the strength you need to accept

people as they are, and to help us all be more understanding of those who

are different from us ! ! ! There's a miracle called - Friendship- that

dwells in the heart. You don't know how it happens or when it gets

started. But you know the special lift it always brings and you realize

that Friendship is God's most precious gift! Friends are a very rare

jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They

lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open

their hearts to us.

SEND THIS TO EVERYONE YOU CONSIDER A FRIEND!!!