I created this narrative from a story, author unknown, I read a while ago, in our local "Senior's Choice" paper.
"Cause me to hear thy loving kindness in the morning;
for in Thee do I trust."
Psalm 143:8
"This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."
Psalm 118:24.
"Today is a GIFT, that's why it's called THE PRESENT."
The nurses wheeled Andrew into a room occupied by one other gentleman. As he slowly emerged from his anesthetic-induced stupor, he realized that he could not move. Nurses buzzed around his bed, discussing him and his condition. In the course of the confused discussions Andrew learned that he would have to lie flat on his back for several months.
It was a few hours later, as Andrew's mind began to function a little more clearly, that he turned his head and saw the man in the bed by the window. The poor fellow was sitting up, struggling for breath. Andrew groaned as he turned to see his room mate a little better. It was then, between wheezing and choking, that the man by the window turned his head toward Andrew. "Glad to see you comin' 'round," he said. "I'm a little luckier than you. I get to sit up for an hour every afternoon to help drain the fluid from my lungs."
From then on, during every hour they were awake, the two men talked constantly. They exchanged information about their families; their homes; what jobs they'd each had before tragedy struck; where they liked to vacation; what their hobbies had been. It seemed they never lacked topics of conversation to help relieve the boredom of their individual illnesses.
During the hour every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window was allowed to sit up, he would slowly ease his legs over the edge of the bed, and face the window. And then he would begin to describe to Andrew all the activities outside. Andrew lived for this hour when his world was broadened and enriched, as his friend would paint a visible picture of goings-on he was witness to in the outside world.
His room mate pictured a park with a lovely lake. He described the ducks and swans as they played on the water. He told of the little children who were throwing bread to the ducklings, and how they would glide toward the lake edge to be first to grab the offerings. He pictured how a couple of little boys were launching a sail boat on the water. With a soft tone of voice he portrayed for his room mate the romantic scene of several young lovers, walking hand-in-hand on the walkway by the lake. He named the several types of flowers which grew along the pathway, and the majestic trees which graced the landscape. Andrew closed his eyes during his room mate's exquisite detail, letting his imagination capture all the picturesque scenes.
One afternoon the man by the window described a beautiful parade which was passing by. He pictured the colorful uniforms of the different bands, the clowns' gaudy outfits, the laughing children who followed the parade, snatching the candies and balloons, which the clowns threw out. Andrew, his eyes closed, and his imagination piqued to its fullest, could all but hear the music and the laughter of the crowd. He so very much looked forward to this hour every day, when the world was opened up to him. He could feel his body daily getting stronger.
Days and weeks went by. And one morning as the nurse came in to give the men their baths, they were shocked and saddened to learn that the man by the window had passed away during the night. They quietly and quickly removed his body from the room.
As soon as Andrew felt the time was appropriate, he asked if he may be moved to the bed by the window. The nurses happily complied with his request. Later on that afternoon, Andrew slowly and painfully raised himself to rest on one elbow so that he could look out the window at the sights which his room mate had so vividly described to him. To his amazement, he found that the window faced a blank wall. The next time a nurse came into the room Andrew questioned her as to why his room mate had described such vivid and wonderful things out of the window, when all he had seen was a blank wall.
The nurse replied, "Mr. Thompson did not even see a blank wall. He saw nothing. He was blind. Mr. Thompson was thinking only of you. He wanted to encourage you and make your life brighter. He painted for you the wonderful scenes which he saw with his soul."
Andrew thought about this for a long while. In fact, it was from then on that he determined that he would walk again. He must get back to his life, so that he could pass on to others the priceless gift which the man in the bed by the window had given to him. He wanted to tell everyone whom he met that "Today is a GIFT, that's why it is call the PRESENT."
God gave us a GIFT, the gift of TODAY. Don't look out your window and see a blank wall. You'll hear the band playing. You'll hear children shout.
He wants us to use it. Don't throw it away.
It's the PRESENT He's given. Don't question, Why?
It won't come again. Tonight it will die.
Look out through your soul. And then you'll see all.
Instead of just drabness you see all around,
You'll notice bright flowers all over the ground.
All the doubts and the worries of life you'll block out.
Like the man by the window, you'll see wonderful sights.
If you look with your soul you'll soar to new heights.
Poem: © Helen Dowd
"Oh give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever."
Psalm 118:29
"Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever."
Psalm 145:2