5 Great Lessons

[Guest guest]

Got from a posting on holy_trinity group

 

5 Great Lessons

 

1. - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady

 

During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz.

I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions

until I read the last one:

 

" What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school? " Surely

this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several

times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I

know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question

blank.

 

Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question

would count toward our quiz grade. " Absolutely, " said the professor. " In your

careers, you will meet many people. All are

significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do

is smile and say " hello. "

 

I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was

Dorothy.

 

2. - Second Important Lesson - Pick-up in the Rain

One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American woman was

standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a

lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately

needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car.

A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those

conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get

assistance and put her into a taxicab.

 

She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and

thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door.

To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home.

A special note was attached..

 

It read:

" Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night.

The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you

came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying

husband's bedside just before he passed away... God bless you for

helping me and unselfishly serving others. "

Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.

 

3. - Third Important Lesson - Always remember those who serve

 

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old

boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a

glass of water in front of him.

 

" How much is an ice cream sundae? " he asked. " Fifty cents, " replied

the waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and

studied the coins in it. " Well, how much is a plain dish of ice

cream? " he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table and

the waitress was growing impatient.

 

" Thirty-five cents, " she brusquely replied The little boy again

counted his coins. " I'll have the plain ice cream, " he said.

The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and

walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and

left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped

down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish,

were two nickels and five pennies..

 

You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough

left to leave her a tip.

 

4. - Fourth Important Lesson. - The obstacle in Our Path

 

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he

hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock.

Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and

simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping

the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out

of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon

approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried

to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing

and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his

load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the

boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note

from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who

removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many

of us never understand!

 

Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

 

5. - Fifth Important Lesson - Giving (esp. When it Counts...)

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to

know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and

serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood

transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously

survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to

combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her

little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to

give his blood to his sister.

 

I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and

saying, " Yes I'll do it, if it will save her. " As the transfusion

progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all

did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew

pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a

trembling voice, " Will I start to die right away? " Being young, the

little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to

have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.

gokulmuthu narayanaswamy <gokulmuthu