Haloes! :)
“Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action
towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your
blessings. Make today worth remembering...” ― Steve Maraboli
James 1:12
“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has
stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to
those who love him…”
Psalm 24:5
“He shall receive a blessing from the LORD And righteousness from the
God of his salvation…”
Hierdie volgende epos wat ek ontvang het, het my in trane gehad en het
my hart diep aangeraak (Maak regtig tyd om hierdie te lees - dit gaan verseker vir jou iets beteken)...
At a fundraising
dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father
of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all
who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a
question:
'When not
interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does, is done with
perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do.
He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural
order of things in my son?'
The audience was
stilled by the query. The father continued. 'I believe that when a
child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world,
an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in
the way other people treat that child.'
Then he told the
following story: Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew
were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' I knew
that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a
fatherIalso understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a
much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in
spite of his handicaps. I approached one of the boys on the field and asked
(not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and
said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he
can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth
inning.' Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile,
put on a team shirt. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my
heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted.
In the bottom of
the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.
In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right
field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be
in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from
the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again.
Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base
and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.
At this juncture,
do the others let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game?
Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but
impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much
less connect with the ball. However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the
pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this
moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay
could at least make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily
and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball
softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit
a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher. The game would now be
over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily
thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that
would have been the end of the game. Instead, the pitcher threw the ball
right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone
from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run
to first!' Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to
first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.
Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!'
Catching his
breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it
to the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right
fielder had the ball. The smallest guy on their team who now had his first
chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the
second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he,
too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head.
Shay ran toward
third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward
home. All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by
turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third!
Shay, run to third!' As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and
the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!' Shay
ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the
grand slam and won the game for his team 'That day', said the father softly
with tears now rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a
piece of true love and humanity into this world'. Shay didn't make it to
another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and
making me so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her
little hero of the day !
Ek weet nie of jy ook toe jy jonk was speletjies gespeel het waar die
groep in spanne moes verdeel nie? Ek
onthou dat daar dan gewoonlik 2 leiers aangewys word, wat dan beurtelings hul
spanne moet kies… Meeste van die tyd,
sal die leier sy beste maat eerste kies, of die persoon wat die grootste
voordeel vir die span sal kan inhou (atleties; goeie "ball sense" ens)… Daar is dan ook altyd iemand wat laaste
oorgebly het en dan moet die leier wat tweede gekies het, die oorblywende persoon aanvaar in
sy/haar span… Watse groot voorreg is dit
dan nou nie om vandag vir jou te kan sê, dat TEN SPYTE van ons swakhede – vorm ons
steeds deel uit van Christus se span… HY
kies vir jou en my, NES ons is,om Sy span te verteenwoordig… God sorg ook altyd dat
ons die "balle kan
face" wat ons kant toe kom, Hy sorg dat dit onderarm gegooi
word, of dat sekere van die "veldwerkers"
miss-field wanneer ons slaan - vir ons om seen uit die situasie te ontvang... God seën ons met sekere dinge
en mense, op sekere tye (of gedurende sekere seisoene in ons
lewens)... Al wat Hy van ons vra, is om geduldig te wag – vir die regte
tyd… Miskien is jy al OP gewag, omdat
die regte deure net nie wil oop nie…
God, as Bewaarder en Beskermer van jou lewe – sal defnitief nie LAAT
wees om Sy beloftes vir jou lewe na te kom nie…
Soos Hy vir Shay ‘n dag gegee het om te SHINE, om as't ware die HERO van die dag te wees, sal Hy sorg dat jy sal
SHINE op die REGTE tyd… God sorg dat
elkeen kry wat hom toekom... Miskien nie wanneer jy dit wil hê nie,
maar God sorg dat jy dit sal ontvang WANNEER jy dit nodig het... Mag Jesus jou waarlik seën vandag… Mag jou probleme verander in geleenthede, jou
hartseer in blydskap en mag jy God loof vir ALLES wat jy dalk as vanselfsprekend
aanvaar…
Blessings!
Anelli**
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