My son got this short story forwarded in his e-mail and he e-mailed it downstairs to my computer. He thought it would be a good idea to post to the fishing BB's. I agree with that. There has been a lot on these forums of disrespect of other's plights, and this is an inspiration in another direction:
> > > TOO WONDERFUL
> > > At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled
> > >children,
> > > the father of one of the school's students delivered a speech that
> > would
> > > never be forgotten by those who attended.
> > >
> > > After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a
> > question.
> > >
> > > "Everything God does is done with perfection. Yet, my son, Shay,
> > cannot
> > > learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as
the
> > > children do. Where is God's plan reflected in my son?"
> > >
> > > The audience was stilled by the query. The father continued. "I
> > believe,
> > > that when God brings a child like Shay into the world, an
opportunity
> > to
> > > realize the Divine Plan presents itself. And it comes in the way
> > people
> > > treat that child." Then, he told the following story:
> > >
> > > Shay and I walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing
> > > baseball. Shay asked, "Do you think they will let me play?" Shay's
> > >father
> > > knew that most boys would not want him on their team. But the
father
> > > understood that if his son were allowed to play it would give him a
> > > much-needed sense of belonging. Shay's father approached one of the
> > boys
> > >on
> > > 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, "We are 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 up to bat in
> > the
> > >ninth
> > > inning.
> > >
> > > In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs
but
> > was
> > > still behind by three. At the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on
a
> > >glove
> > > and played in the outfield. Although no hits came his way, he was
> > >obviously
> > > ecstatic just to be on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his
> > father
> > > 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.
> > Shay
> > >was
> > > scheduled to be the next at-bat. 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 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 moved a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at
> > least
> > > be able to 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 toward Shay. As
the
> > >pitch
> > > came in, Shay swung at the ball and 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,
> > > "Shay, Shay, run to first. Run to first." Never in his life had
Shay
> > >ever
> > > made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed
and
> > > startled.
> > >
> > > Everyone yelled, "Run to second, run to second! By the time Shay
was
> > > rounding first base, the right fielder had the ball. He could have
> > thrown
> > > the ball to the second baseman for a tag. But the right fielder
> > >understood
> > > what the pitcher's intentions had been, so he threw the ball high
and
> > far
> > > over the third baseman's head. Shay ran towards second base as the
> > >runners
> > > ahead of him deliriously circled the bases towards home. As Shay
> > >reached
> > > second base, the opposing shortstop ran to him, turned him in the
> > >direction
> > > of third base, and shouted, "Run to third!" As Shay rounded third,
> > the
> > >boys
> > > from both teams were screaming, "Shay! Run home!" Shay ran home,
> > stepped
> > >on
> > > home plate and was cheered as the hero, for hitting a "grand slam"
and
> > > winning the game for the team.
> > >
> > > "That day," said the father softly with tears now rolling down his
> > face,
> > > "the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of the Divine Plan
> > into
> > >this
> > > world."
> > >
> > > In conclusion: a footnote to the story. We all send thousands of
> > jokes
> > > through e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to
sending
> > > messages regarding life choices, people think twice about sharing.
> > The
> > > crude, vulgar, and sometimes the obscene pass freely through
> > cyberspace,
> > >but
> > > public discussion of decency is too often suppressed in school and
the
> > > workplace. If you are thinking about forwarding this message, you
are
> > > probably thinking about which people on your address list aren't the
> > > "appropriate" ones to receive this type of message. The person who
> > sent
> > >this
> > > to you believes that we can all make a difference. We all have
> > thousands
> > >of
> > > opportunities a day to help realize God's plan. So many seemingly
> > trivial
> > > interactions between two people present us with a choice: Do we pass
> > along
> > >a
> > > spark of the Divine? Or do we pass up that opportunity, and leave
the
> > >world
> > > a bit colder in the process?
> > >
> > > You have choices now.
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