The Kid And The Car

A friend of mine named Paul received an automobile from his brother as a Christmas present.

 

On Christmas eve when Paul came out of his office, a little street kid was walking around the shiny, new car admiring it.

 

“This your car mister?” He said.

 

“Yeah …  my brother gave it to me as a Christmas present.”

 

The boy was just absolutely stunned.

 

“You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn’t cost you nothing?  Why I wish ...”, he hesitated.

 

Of course, Paul knew what he was gonna wish for, he was gonna wish HE had a brother like that; but when the lad said what he did, it jarred Paul all the way down to his ...

 

“I wish “, said the boy, “I could be a brother like that”.

 

Paul looked at the little boy in astonishment, and then sort of impulsively added,

 

“Hey, you wanna take a ride in this new car with me?”

 

“Oh yes sir, I’d love that.”

 

After a short ride the boy looked at Paul with his eyes aglow and said, “Mister, would you mind driving over in front of my house?”

 

Paul smiled, he thought he knew what the little boy wanted, he wanted to show his neighbours that he could ride home in a Big, Beautiful, new car, but again Paul was wrong.

 

“Will you stop where those two steps are, right there?” the little boy asked.

 

“Sure.”

 

The kid jumped out and left the door open, ran up the steps.  In a little while Paul heard his coming back; he wasn’t coming as fast as he had left.  He was carrying his little brother who happened to be crippled.  He set him down on the bottom step, they both folded their arms and the little boy sort of squeezed close to his little brother and pointed to the car and he said, “There she is, buddy. Just like I told you upstairs.  His brother gave it to him for Christmas.  It didn’t cost him a cent, and someday, I’m gonna give you one just like it.  Then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the Christmas windows I’ve been tellin' you about.”

 

Paul got out, lifted the little boy into the front seat of his car, and the shining-eyed older brother climbed into the seat beside him with his arm around him.  And the three of them began a memorable holiday ride together.

 

That Christmas eve Paul learned, as never before, what Jesus meant when he said, “It’s more blessed to give, than to receive.”

 

If I had one wish, I’d wish our family, our whole, big Christian family, could be like that older brother ... starts with me, doesn’t it?

 

(“The greatest of all the virtues ... it’s not faith, and it’s not hope.  In the virtues of relationship, there is nothing like this kind of love.  We’ve never seen it in anyone like we’ve seen it in Christ.  He’s our model.  He loved us and gave Himself for us, of all things, and today we, in a whole new way, in depth of appreciation – worship Him.  Cos if we don’t relate to each other in love, we don’t relate to each other at all.  Help us, to relate better, like Jesus, in whose name we pray ...”)

 

From Chuck Swindoll’s “A reformation in our home and family”