Friday, August 14, 2015

Bricks and Blocks

I was fascinated to by a story I heard a long time ago about a boy that through a brick at a brand new car.  The man driving was justifiably furious and stopped to grab the boy.  To the man's surprise the boy didn't run.  With tears streaming down his face he begged the angry man to help him with his brother who had fallen out of his wheel chair and the boy wasn't strong enough to get him back up.  The man helped straighten things out and sent the boys on their way.  He took the brick and put it on his mantle at home to remind himself not to get so busy going some place that it takes a brick to get his attention to serve others. 

Bricks are tossed for a variety of reason most unlike this story are tossed out of carelessness, cruelty, indifference, unreasonable expectations. What we do with them is what paves the way for a new road or block ourselves in with high walls?  The bricks are there.  Stumbling blocks are similar, do we knock them down to help build our road or sit by the side waiting for someone else to clear the way. 

The road best traveled was a story I heard years ago.  I tried to find a copy but all google could find was travel sights....silly google and Yahoo isn't any better. 

A king declared that a great road would be built between the cities.  After many months of difficult work the road was to be opened.  The king declared that the person that traveled the road best would receive a great reward.  On the day the road open, opulent carriages loaded with lovely ladies and riders on their fastest horses rushed forward onto the road.  Each choosing their idea of 'best'.  Was the best the fastest?  The prettiest?  The most expensive?  On and on through the day people thronged the road.  At the end, many complained about the pile of garbage that blocked the way requiring many to get muddy trying to pick their way around the mess.  Late into the evening people kept coming and the king kept shaking his head declaring each one had not traveled the road best.  Finally, a tiny old man pushing his wheelbarrow with a strange sack in it approached the king's porch.   "Your majesty, " the little man addressed the great king.  "My deepest apologies for being late but there was a terrible mess in the road, it took hours for me to clear it with all the people jostling by.  Underneath the mess I found this bag of gold.  I thought perhaps the bag belonged to you."  The king smiled his pleasure.  "My good man," he replied, "You traveled the road the best.  The bag of gold you found is now yours.  May it bring you great comfort after you labor of clearing the road so others could travel safely." 

Am I traveling the road the best?  Am I taking the bricks to build roads and bridges?  Do I need a brick tossed at me to remind me to be aware of others? 



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