jamsmu
11-08-2004, 03:11 PM
This was sent to me via e-mail. I rarely pass-on forwards, and never pass things with religious conotations. This is an exception because it is just so beautiful:
Breakfast at McDonald's. Please read until the end.
This is a good story and is true, please read it all the way through until the
end! (After the story, there are some very interesting facts!):
I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my college
degree.
The last class I had to take was! Sociology.
The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human
being had been graced with.
Her last project of the term was called "Smile."
The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their
reactions.
I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway,
so, I thought this would be a piece of cake, literally.
Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went
out to McDonald's one crisp March morning.
It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son.
We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone
around us began to back away, and then even my husband did.
I did not move an inch... an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of
me as I turned to see why they had moved.
As I turned around I smelled a horrible "dirty body" smell, and there standing
behind me were two poor homeless men.
As I looked down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was "smiling".
His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God's Light as he searched for
acceptance.
He said, "Good day" as he counted the few coins he had been clutching.
The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized
the second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyed gentleman was his
salvation.
I held my tears as I stood there with them.
The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted.
He said, "Coffee is all Miss" because that was all they could afford. (If they
wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. He just
wanted to be warm).
Then I really felt it - the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and
embraced the little man with the blue eyes.
That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my
every action.
I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more
breakfast meals on a separate tray.
I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a
resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed
gentleman's cold hand.
He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Thank you."
I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, "I did not do this for you. God
is here working through me to give you hope."
I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I sat down my
husband smiled at me and said, "That is why God gave you to me, Honey, to give
me hope."
We held hands for a moment and at that time, we knew that only because of the
Grace that we had been given were we able to give.
We are not church goers, but we are believers.
I returned to college, on
the last evening of class, with this story in hand.
I turned in "my project" and the instructor read it.
Then she looked up at me and said, "Can I share this?"
I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class.
She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings share this need to heal people and to be healed.
In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald's, my husband, son,
instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent
as a college student.
I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn: UNCONDITIONAL
ACCEPTANCE !.
Breakfast at McDonald's. Please read until the end.
This is a good story and is true, please read it all the way through until the
end! (After the story, there are some very interesting facts!):
I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my college
degree.
The last class I had to take was! Sociology.
The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human
being had been graced with.
Her last project of the term was called "Smile."
The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their
reactions.
I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway,
so, I thought this would be a piece of cake, literally.
Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went
out to McDonald's one crisp March morning.
It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son.
We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone
around us began to back away, and then even my husband did.
I did not move an inch... an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of
me as I turned to see why they had moved.
As I turned around I smelled a horrible "dirty body" smell, and there standing
behind me were two poor homeless men.
As I looked down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was "smiling".
His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God's Light as he searched for
acceptance.
He said, "Good day" as he counted the few coins he had been clutching.
The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized
the second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyed gentleman was his
salvation.
I held my tears as I stood there with them.
The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted.
He said, "Coffee is all Miss" because that was all they could afford. (If they
wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. He just
wanted to be warm).
Then I really felt it - the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and
embraced the little man with the blue eyes.
That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my
every action.
I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more
breakfast meals on a separate tray.
I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a
resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed
gentleman's cold hand.
He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Thank you."
I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, "I did not do this for you. God
is here working through me to give you hope."
I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I sat down my
husband smiled at me and said, "That is why God gave you to me, Honey, to give
me hope."
We held hands for a moment and at that time, we knew that only because of the
Grace that we had been given were we able to give.
We are not church goers, but we are believers.
I returned to college, on
the last evening of class, with this story in hand.
I turned in "my project" and the instructor read it.
Then she looked up at me and said, "Can I share this?"
I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class.
She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings share this need to heal people and to be healed.
In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald's, my husband, son,
instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent
as a college student.
I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn: UNCONDITIONAL
ACCEPTANCE !.