Accepting a Disabled Vet
"JUDGE ME BY THE FOOTPRINTS I LEAVE BEHIND"

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're asking. Someone with such
a handicap would be a terrible 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 inconvenience
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!!!

The above is an anonymously posted e-mail.  If you claim ownership or authorship,
please write me. Use the mail listed on my welcome page, and I'll give you credit 
for this story. God bless whoever you are.

Back to Veteran's page
Back to Military Links page
Back to Spirit page