Carl was a quiet
man. He didn't talk much. He would always greet you with a big smile and a
firm handshake. Even after living in our neighborhood for over fifty
(50) years, no one could really say they knew him very well.
Before his retirement, he took the bus to work each morning. The lone sight of him walking down the street often worried us. He had a slight limp from a bullet wound received in WWII.
Watching him, we worried that although he had survived WWII, he may not make it through our changing uptown neighborhood with its ever-increasing random violence, gangs and drug activity.
When he saw the flyer at our local church asking for volunteers for caring for the gardens behind the minister's residence, he responded in his characteristically unassuming manner. Without fanfare, he just signed up.
He was well into his 87th year when the very thing we had always feared finally happened.
He was just finishing his watering for the day when 3 gang members approached him. Ignoring their attempt to intimidate him, he simply asked, "Would you like a drink from the hose?"
Before his retirement, he took the bus to work each morning. The lone sight of him walking down the street often worried us. He had a slight limp from a bullet wound received in WWII.
Watching him, we worried that although he had survived WWII, he may not make it through our changing uptown neighborhood with its ever-increasing random violence, gangs and drug activity.
When he saw the flyer at our local church asking for volunteers for caring for the gardens behind the minister's residence, he responded in his characteristically unassuming manner. Without fanfare, he just signed up.
He was well into his 87th year when the very thing we had always feared finally happened.
He was just finishing his watering for the day when 3 gang members approached him. Ignoring their attempt to intimidate him, he simply asked, "Would you like a drink from the hose?"
The tallest and
toughest-looking of the 3 said, "Yeah, sure," with a malevolent little
smile.
As Carl offered the hose to him, the other 2) grabbed Carl's arm, throwing him down. As the hose snaked crazily over the ground, dousing everything in its way, Carl's assailants stole his retirement watch and his wallet, then fled.
Carl tried to get himself up, but he had been thrown down on his bad leg. He lay there trying to gather himself as the minister came running to help him.
As Carl offered the hose to him, the other 2) grabbed Carl's arm, throwing him down. As the hose snaked crazily over the ground, dousing everything in its way, Carl's assailants stole his retirement watch and his wallet, then fled.
Carl tried to get himself up, but he had been thrown down on his bad leg. He lay there trying to gather himself as the minister came running to help him.
Although the
minister had witnessed the attack from his window, he couldn't get there fast
enough to stop it.
"Carl, are you okay?
Are you hurt?" the minister kept asking as he helped Carl to his
feet.
Carl just passed a
hand over his brow and sighed, shaking his head. "Just some punk kids. I hope
they'll wise-up someday."
His wet clothes
clung to his slight frame as he bent to pick up the hose. He adjusted the
nozzle again and started to water.
Confused and a
little concerned, the minister asked; "Carl, what are you doing?"
"I've got to finish
my watering. It's been very dry lately," came the calm reply.
Satisfying himself that Carl really was all right, the minister could only marvel. Carl was a man from a different time and place.
Satisfying himself that Carl really was all right, the minister could only marvel. Carl was a man from a different time and place.
A few weeks later
the three (3) returned. Just as before their threat was unchallenged. Carl
again offered them a drink from his hose.
This time they
didn't rob him. They wrenched the hose from his hand and drenched him head to
foot in the icy water.
When they had
finished their humiliation of him, they sauntered off down the street, throwing
catcalls and curses, falling over each other laughing at the hilarity of what
they had just done.
Carl just watched
them. Then he turned toward the warmth giving sun, picked up his hose and went
on with his watering.
The summer was
quickly fading into fall. Carl was doing some tilling when he was startled by
the sudden approach of someone behind him. He stumbled and fell into some
evergreen branches.
As he struggled to
regain his footing, he turned to see the tall leader of his summer tormentors
reaching down for him. He braced himself for the expected
attack.
"Don't worry old
man, I'm not gonna hurt you this time." The young man spoke softly, still
offering the tattooed and scarred hand to Carl. As he helped Carl get up, the
man pulled a crumpled bag from his pocket and handed it to
Carl.
"What's this?" Carl
asked.
"It's your stuff,"
the man explained. "It's your stuff back. Even the money in your
wallet."
"I don't
understand," Carl said. "Why would you help me now?"
The man shifted his
feet, seeming embarrassed and ill at ease. "I learned something from you," he
said. "I ran with that gang and hurt people like you. We picked you because
you were old and we knew we could do it. But every time we came and did
something to you, instead of yelling and fighting back, you tried to give us a
drink. You didn't hate us for hating you. You kept showing love against our
hate."
He stopped for a
moment. "I couldn't sleep after we stole your stuff, so here it is
back."
He paused for
another awkward moment, not knowing what more there was to say. "That bag's my
way of saying thanks for straightening me out, I guess." And with that, he
walked off down the street.
Carl looked down at
the sack in his hands and gingerly opened it. He took out his retirement watch
and put it back on his wrist. Opening his wallet, he checked for his wedding
photo. He gazed for a moment at the young bride that still smiled back at him
from all those years ago.
Carl died one (1)
cold day after Christmas that winter. Many people attended his funeral in spite
of the weather. In particular the minister noticed a tall young man that he
didn't know sitting quietly in a distant corner of the
church.
The minister spoke
of Carl's garden as a lesson in life. In a voice made thick with unshed tears,
he said; "Do your best and make your garden as beautiful as you can. We will
never forget Carl and his garden."
The following spring
another flyer went up. It read: "Person needed to care for Carl's
garden."
The flyer went
unnoticed by the busy parishioners until one (1) day when a knock was heard at
the minister's office door. Opening the door, the minister saw a pair of
scarred and tattooed hands holding the flyer. "I believe this is my job, if
you'll have me," the young man said.
The minister recognized him as the same young man who had returned the stolen watch and wallet to Carl. He knew that Carl's kindness had turned this man's life around. As the minister handed him the keys to the garden shed, he said; "Yes, go take care of Carl's garden and honor him."
The minister recognized him as the same young man who had returned the stolen watch and wallet to Carl. He knew that Carl's kindness had turned this man's life around. As the minister handed him the keys to the garden shed, he said; "Yes, go take care of Carl's garden and honor him."
The man went to work
and over the next several years, he tended the flowers and vegetables just as
Carl had done. During that time, he went to college, got married and became a
prominent member of the community. But he never forgot his promise to Carl's
memory and kept the garden as beautiful as he thought Carl would have kept
it.
One (1) day he
approached the new minister and told him that he couldn't care for the garden
any longer. He explained with a shy and happy smile; "My wife just had a baby
boy last night, and she's bringing him home on Saturday."
"Well,
congratulations!" said the minister, as he was handed the garden shed keys.
"That's wonderful! What's the baby's name?"
"Carl," he
replied.
That's the whole
gospel message simply stated. Take sixty (60) seconds give this a shot! Let's
just see if Satan stops this one.
All you do is:
All you do is:
1. Simply say a
small prayer for the person who sent you this. "God bless this person in
whatever it is that You know he or she may be needing this
day!
2. Send it on to
five (5) other people. Within hours five (5) people have prayed for you and you
caused a multitude of people to pray to God for other people.
3. Sit back and
watch the power of God work in your life for doing the thing that you know He
loves.
GOOD FRIENDS ARE LIKE ANGELS, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SEE THEM TO KNOW THEY ARE THERE!
Okay, I know I sent this to more than five (5) people, but I knew God wanted to bless all of you
GOOD FRIENDS ARE LIKE ANGELS, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SEE THEM TO KNOW THEY ARE THERE!
Okay, I know I sent this to more than five (5) people, but I knew God wanted to bless all of you
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