The Brick

A young and successful executive was travelling down a neighbourhood street, going a bit too fast in a new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something.

As the car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag’s side door! He slammed on the brakes and drove the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown. The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed the child against a parked car shouting, “What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That’s a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?”

The youth was apologetic. “Please... Please, I’m sorry... I didn’t know what else to do, I threw the brick because no one else would stop...” With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. “It’s my brother,” he said. “He rolled off the kerb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him.”

Now sobbing, the child asked the stunned executive, “Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me.” The driver was moved beyond words and hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look over the minor injuries relieved the exec.

“Thank you and may God bless you,” the grateful child told the stranger.

Too shaken for words, the young executive simply watched the child push his wheelchair-bound brother along the pavement towards their home.

It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message:

“Don’t go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!”

God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don’t have time to listen, he has to throw a brick at us. It’s our choice to listen or not.

•From ‘Archway’ the MU Quarterly Magazine for Winchester Diocese.