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Everything Happens For a Reason
In Brooklyn, New York, Chush is a school that caters to learning disabled children. Some children remain in Chush for their entire school career, while other can be mainstreamed into conventional schools.
At a Chush fundraising dinner, the father of a Chush child delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended.
After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he cried out, ÒWhere is the perfection in my son, Shay? Everything God does is done with perfection. But my child cannot understand things as other children do. My child cannot remember facts and figures as other children do. Where is GodÕs perfection?Ó
The audience was shocked by the question, pained by the fatherÕs anguish and stilled by the piercing query.
ÒI believe,Ó the father answered, Òthat when God brings a child like this into the world, the perfection that he seeks is in the way people react to this child.Ó
He then told the following story about his son Shay:
One afternoon, Shay and his father walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball.
Shay asked, ÒDo you think they will let me play?Ó
ShayÕs father knew that his son was not at all athletic and that most boys would not want him on their team. But ShayÕs father understood that if his son was chosen to play it would give him a comfortable sense of belonging. ShayÕs father approached one of the boys in the field and asked if Shay could play.
The boy looked around for guidance from his teammates. Getting none, he took matters into his own hands and said, ÒWe are losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and weÕll try to put him up to bat in the ninth inning.Ó
ShayÕs father was ecstatic as Shay smiled broadly. Shay was told to put on a glove and go out to play short center field. In the bottom of the eighth inning, ShayÕs team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, ShayÕs team scored again and now with two outs and the basses loaded with the potential winning run on base Shay was scheduled to be up. Would the team actually let Shay bat at this juncture and give away their chance to win the game?
Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that it was all but impossible because Shay didnÕt even know how to hold the bat properly, let alone hit with it. However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher moved up a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay should at least be able to make contact.
The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. One of ShayÕs teammates came up to Shay and together they held the bat and faced the pitcher waiting for the next pitch.
The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly toward Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay and his teammate swung at the ball and together they hit a slow ground ball to the pitcher.
The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could easily have thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have ended the game. Instead, the pitcher took the ball and threw it on a high arc to right field, far beyond reach of the first baseman.
Everyone started yelling, ÒShay, run to first. Run to first.Ó
Never in his life had Shay run to first. He scampered down the baseline wide-eyed and startled. By the time he reached first base, the right fielder had the ball. He could have thrown the ball to the second baseman who would tag out Shay, who was still running. But the right fielder understood what the pitcherÕs intentions were, so he threw the ball high and far over the third basemanÕs head.
Everyone yelled, ÒRun to second, run to second.Ó Shay ran towards second base as the runners ahead of him deliriously circled the bases towards home.
As Shay reached second base, the opposing short stop ran to him, turned him in the direction of third base and shouted, ÒRun to third.Ó As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams ran behind him screaming, ÒShay run home.Ó Shay ran home, stepped on home plate and all 18 boys lifted him on their shoulders and made him the hero, as he had just hit a Ògrand slamÓ and won the game for his team.
ÒThat day,Ó said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, Òthose 18 boys reached their level of GodÕs perfection.Ó
Funny how this is so true!
Funny how simple it is for people to trash different ways of living and believing and then wonder why the world is going to hell.
Funny how people can send a thousand ÔjokesÕ through email and they spread like wildfire, but when one starts sending messages regarding life choices, people think twice about sharing.
Funny how the lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of morality is too often suppressed in school and the workplace.
Funny how when you go to forward this message (if you choose to forward it), you will not send it to many on your address list because youÕre not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it to them. Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what we think of ourselves.
Author Unknown
Submitted by Dixie G. (20010208)
This page complies with Planning & Development Standards - Revision 20010209fr1010
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