Brother's Wish
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 street urchin was walking around the shiny new car,admiring it.【1】
“Is this your car,sir?” he asked.
Paul nodded and said,“My brother gave it to me for Christmas.” The boy was very astounded.“You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn't cost you anything? Boy,I really wish...” he hesitated.
Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for.He was going to wish he had a brother like that.But what the lad said jarred Paul all the way.【2】
“I wish,” the boy went on,“that I could be a brother like that.”
Paul looked at the boy in astonishment,and then impulsively he added,“Would you like to go for a ride in my car?”
“Oh yes,I'd love that!”
After a short ride,the boy turned with his eyes aglow and said,“Sir,would you mind driving in front of my house?”
Paul smiled a little.He thought he knew what the lad wanted to do.He wanted to show his neighbours that he could go home in a big automobile.But Paul was wrong again.“Will you stop where those two steps are?” the boy asked.
He ran up the steps.Then after a while Paul heard him coming back,but he was not coming fast.He was carrying his little crippled brother.He sat him on the bottom step,then sort of squeezed up against him and pointed to the car.
He said,“There it is,buddy,just like I told you upstairs.His brother gave it to him for Christmas.And some day I'm gonna give you one just like it,then you can see by yourself all the pretty things in the Christmas windows that I've been trying to tell you about.”
Paul got out and lifted the crippled lad to the front seat of his car.The elder brother climbed in and sat beside him.The three of them began a memorable holiday ride.
On that Christmas Eve,Paul learned what Jesus meant when he said:“It is more blessed to give...”