Mark, the helping hand!

Is the title of today's Inspirational message

Mark was walking home from school one day

when he noticed the boy ahead of him had

tripped and dropped all of the books he was

carrying, along with two sweaters, a baseball

bat, a glove and a small tape recorder.

Mark knelt down and helped the boy pick up the

scattered articles. Since they were going the

same way, he helped to carry part of the

burden. As they walked Mark discovered the

boy’s name was Bill, that he loved video

games, baseball and history, and that he was

having lots of trouble with his other subjects

and that he had just broken up with his

girlfriend.

They arrived at Bill’s home first and Mark was

invited in for a Coke and to watch some

television. The afternoon passed pleasantly with

a few laughs and some shared small talk, then

Mark went home. They continued to see each

other around school, had lunch together once

or twice, then both graduated from junior high

school.

They ended up in the same high school where

they had brief contacts over the years. Finally

the long awaited senior year came and three

weeks before graduation, Bill asked Mark if they

could talk.

Bill reminded him of the day years ago when

they had first met. “Did you ever wonder why I

was carrying so many things home that day?”

asked Bill.

“You see, I cleaned out my locker because I

didn’t want to leave a mess for anyone else. I

had stored away some of my mothers sleeping

pills and I was going home to commit suicide.

But after we spent some time together talking

and laughing, I realized that if I had killed

myself, I would have missed that time and so

many others that might follow. So you see,

Mark, when you picked up those books that day,

you did a lot more, you saved my life.”

You may not know how the little helping hand you give will save a life just as Mark never knew Bill has preplanned to commit suicide. The world is full of Good people if you can't find one be one.

– 

Author : John W. Schlatter (true story)