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Fw: Fw: The old fisherman




> > > > > << Subject: THE OLD FISHERMAN
> > > > > > > Our house was directly across the street from
> > > > > > > the clinic entrance of Johns Hopkins
> > > > > > > Hospital in Baltimore. We lived downstairs and
> > > > > > > rented the upstairs rooms to out patients
> > > > > > > at the clinic. One summer evening as I was
> > > > > fixing supper,
> > > > > > > there was a knock at the
> > > > > > > door. I opened
> > > > > > > it to see a truly awful looking man. "Why,
> > > > > > > he's
> > > > > > > hardly taller than my
> > > > > > > eight-year-old,"
> > > > > > > I thought as I stared at the stooped,
> > > > > > > shriveled
> > > > > > > body. But the appalling
> > > > > > > thing was
> > > > > > > his face, lopsided from swelling, red and raw.
> > > > > > > Yet his voice was pleasant as he said, "Good
> > > > > > > evening. I've come to see
> > > > > > > if you've
> > > > > > > a room for just one night. I came for a
> > > > > > > treatment this morning from the eastern shore,
> > > > > > > and there's no bus 'til morning."
> > > > > > > He told me he'd been hunting for a room since
> > > > > > > noon but with no success,
> > > > > > > no one seemed
> > > > > > > to have a room. "I guess it's my face... I
> > > > > > > know
> > > > > > > it looks terrible, but
> > > > > > > my doctor
> > > > > > > says with a few more treatments..." For a
> > > > > > > moment
> > > > > > > I hesitated, but his
> > > > > > > next words
> > > > > > > convinced me: "I could sleep in this rocking
> > > > > > > chair on the porch. My bus
> > > > > > > leaves early
> > > > > > > in the morning."
> > > > > > > I told him we would find him a bed, but to
> > > > > > > rest
> > > > > > > on the porch. I went
> > > > > > > inside and finished
> > > > > > > getting supper. When we were ready, I asked
> > > > > > > the
> > > > > > > old man if he would join
> > > > > > > us. "No
> > > > > > > thank you. I have plenty." And he held up a
> > > > > > > brown paper bag.
> > > > > > > When I had finished the dishes, I went out on
> > > > > > > the porch to talk with him
> > > > > > > a few minutes.
> > > > > > > It didn't take a long time to see that this
> > > > > > > old
> > > > > > > man had an oversized
> > > > > > > heart crowded
> > > > > > > into that tiny body. He told me he fished for
> > > > > > > a
> > > > > > > living to support his
> > > > > > > daughter, her
> > > > > > > five children, and her husband, who was
> > > > > > > hopelessly crippled from a back
> > > > > > > injury.
> > > > > > > He didn't tell it by way of complaint; in
> > > > > > > fact,
> > > > > > > every other sentence was
> > > > > > > preface
> > > > > > > with a thanks to God for a blessing. He was
> > > > > > > grateful that no pain
> > > > > > > accompanied his
> > > > > > > disease, which was apparently a form of skin
> > > > > > > cancer. He thanked God for
> > > > > > > giving him
> > > > > > > the strength to keep going.
> > > > > > > At bedtime, we put a camp cot in the
> > > > > > > children's
> > > > > > > room for him. When I got
> > > > > > > up in the
> > > > > > > morning, the bed linens were neatly folded and
> > > > > > > the little man was out on
> > > > > > > the porch.
> > > > > > > He refused breakfast, but just before he left
> > > > > > > for his bus, haltingly, as
> > > > > > > if asking
> > > > > > > a great favor, he said, Could I please come
> > > > > > > back
> > > > > > > and stay the next time
> > > > > > > I have a
> > > > > > > treatment? I won't put you out a bit. I can
> > > > > > > sleep fine in a chair." He
> > > > > > > paused a moment
> > > > > > > and then added, "Your children made me feel at
> > > > > > > home. Grownups are
> > > > > > > bothered by my
> > > > > > > face, but children don't seem to mind." I told
> > > > > > > him he was welcome to
> > > > > > > come again.
> > > > > > > And on his next trip he arrived a little after
> > > > > > > seven in the morning. As
> > > > > > > a gift, he
> > > > > > > brought a big fish and a quart of the largest
> > > > > > > oysters I had ever seen.
> > > > > > > He said he
> > > > > > > had shucked them that morning before he left
> > > > > > > so
> > > > > > > that they'd be nice and
> > > > > > > fresh. I
> > > > > > > knew his bus left at 4:00 a.m. and I wondered
> > > > > > > what time he had to get up
> > > > > > > in order
> > > > > > > to do this for us.
> > > > > > > In the years he came to stay overnight with us
> > > > > > > there was never a time
> > > > > > > that he did
> > > > > > > not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables
> > > > > > > from
> > > > > > > his garden.
> > > > > > > Other times we received packages in the mail,
> > > > > > > always by special
> > > > > > > delivery; fish and
> > > > > > > oysters packed in a box of fresh young spinach
> > > > > > > or kale, every leaf
> > > > > > > carefully washed.
> > > > > > > Knowing that he must walk three miles to mail
> > > > > > > these, and knowing how
> > > > > > > little money
> > > > > > > he had made the gifts doubly precious.
> > > > > > > When I received these little remembrances, I
> > > > > > > often thought of a comment
> > > > > > > our next-door
> > > > > > > neighbor made after he left that first
> > > > > > > morning.
> > > > > > > "Did you keep that awful
> > > > > > > looking
> > > > > > > man last night? I turned him away! You can
> > > > > > > lose
> > > > > > > roomers by putting up
> > > > > > > such people!"
> > > > > > > Maybe we did lose roomers once or twice. But
> > > > > > > oh!
> > > > > > > If only they could have
> > > > > > > known him,
> > > > > > > perhaps their illness' would have been easier
> > > > > > > to
> > > > > > > bear. I know our family
> > > > > > > always will
> > > > > > > be grateful to have known him; from him we
> > > > > > > learned what it was to accept
> > > > > > > the bad
> > > > > > > without complaint and the good with gratitude
> > > > > > > to
> > > > > > > God.
> > > > > > > Recently I was visiting a friend who has a
> > > > > > > greenhouse, As she showed me
> > > > > > > her flowers,
> > > > > > > we came to the most beautiful one of all, a
> > > > > > > golden chrysanthemum,
> > > > > > > bursting with blooms.
> > > > > > > But to my great surprise, it was growing in an
> > > > > > > old dented, rusty bucket.
> > > > > > > I thought
> > > > > > > to myself, "If this were my plant, I'd put it
> > > > > > > in
> > > > > > > the loveliest container
> > > > > > > I had!"
> > > > > > > My friend changed my mind. "I ran short of
> > > > > > > pots," she explained, and knowing how
> > > > > > > beautiful this one would be, I thought it
> > > > > > > wouldn't mind starting out in
> > > > > > > this old
> > > > > > > pail. It's just for a little while, till I can
> > > > > > > put it out in the
> > > > > > > garden."
> > > > > > > She must have wondered why I laughed so
> > > > > > > delightedly, but I was imagining
> > > > > > > just such
> > > > > > > a scene in heaven. "Here's an especially
> > > > > > > beautiful one," God might have
> > > > > > > said when
> > > > > > > he came to the soul of the sweet old
> > > > > > > fisherman.
> > > > > > > "He won't mind starting
> > > > > > > in this small
> > > > > > > body."
> > > > > > > All this happened long ago -- and now, in
> > > > > > > God's
> > > > > > > garden, how tall this
> > > > > > > lovely soul
> > > > > > > must stand.
> > > > > > > The LORD does not look at the things man looks
> > > > > > > at. Man looks at the
> > > > > > > outward appearance,
> > > > > > > but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel
> > > > > > > 16:7b)
> > > > > > > Friends are very special. They make you smile
> > > > > > > and encourage you to
> > > > > > > succeed.
> > > > > > > They lend an ear and they share a word of
> > > > > > > praise. Show your friends how
> > > > > > > much you
> > > > > > > care.... Pass this on, and brighten someone's
> > > > > > > day. Nothing will happen
> > > > > > > if you do
> > > > > > > not decide to pass it along. The only thing
> > > > > > > that
> > > > > > > will happen if you DO
> > > > > > > pass it on,
> > > > > > > is that someone might smile (because of you).
> > > > > > > Make someone smile today!
> >
> >
>
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