small story of soldier

A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after having fought in Vietnam.He
called his parents from San Francisco. "Mom and Dad, I'm coming home, but I've got a favor to
ask. I have a friend I'd like to bring with me." "Sure," they replied, "we'd love to meet him."
"There's something you should know the son continued,"he was hurt pretty badly in the
fighting. He stepped on a land mine and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I
want him to come live with us." "I'm sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find
somewhere to live.""No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us.""Son," said the father, "you
don't know what you'reasking. Someone with such a handicap would be aterrible burden on us.
We have our own lives to live,and we can't let something like this interfere with our lives. I think
you should just come home and forget about this guy. He'll find a way to live on his own."

At that point, the son hung up the phone.The parents heard nothing more from him. A few days
later, however, they received a call from the San Francisco police. Their son had died after falling
from a building, they were told. The police believed it was suicide. The grief-stricken parents flew
to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son.
They recognized him, but to their horror they also discovered something they didn't know; their
son had only one arm and one leg.

The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love those who are good-looking
or fun to have around, but we don't like people who causes inconvenience to us or make us feel
uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who aren't as healthy,beautiful, or smart
as we are. Thankfully, there's someone who won't treat us that way. Someone who loves
us with an unconditional love that welcomes us into the forever family, regardless of how messed
up we are.

Tonight, before you tuck yourself in for the night, say a little prayer that God will give you the
strength you need to accept people as they are, and to help us all be more understanding of
those who are different from us!!! There's a miracle called -Friendship- that dwells in the heart.
You don't know how it happens or when it gets started.But you know the special gift it always
brings and you realize that friendship is God's most precious gift! Friends are a very rare jewel,
indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a
word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us.


Show your friends how much you care.... Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND!

-- From a friend