He was driving home one evening, on a two-lane country road.
Work  in this small mid-western community, was almost as
slow as his  beat-up Pontiac.  But he never quit looking.
Ever since the factory closed, he'd been unemployed, and with
winter raging on, the chill had finally hit home.

It was a lonely road. Not very many people had a reason to
be on it, unless they were leaving. Most of his friends had
already left. They had families to feed and dreams to fulfill.

But he stayed on. After all, this was where he buried his
mother and father. He was born here and he knew the country.
He could go down this road blind, and tell you what was on either
side, and with his headlights not working, which came in handy.

It was starting to get dark and light snow flurries
were coming down. He'd better get a move on.

You know, he almost didn't see the old lady, stranded on the
side of the road. But even in the dim light of day, he could
see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes
and got out.

His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her.
Even with the smile on his face, she was worried.
No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he
going to hurt her? He didn't look safe, he looked poor and hungry.
He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in
the cold. Heknew how she felt. It was that chill which only fear
can put in you.  He said, "I'm here to help you ma'am.
Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm?
By the way, my name is Bryan".

Well, all she had was a flat tire, but  for an old lady, that
was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car
looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a
time or two.

Soon  he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty
and his hands hurt. As he was tightening up the lug nuts,
she rolled down the window and began to talk to him.
She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just
passing through.  She couldn't thank him enough for
coming to her aid. Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk.
She asked him  how much she owed him. Any amount would
have been all right with her. She had already imagined all the
awful things thatcould have happened had he not stopped.
Bryan never thought twice about the money. This was not a job
to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows
there were plenty who had given him a hand in the past...
He had livedhis whole life that way, and it never occurred to
him to act any other way. He told her that if she really wanted
to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed
help, she could give that person the assistance that they needed,
and Bryan added "...and think of me".  He waited until she started
her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day,
but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into
the twilight.

A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe.
She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off
before she made the last leg of  her trip home. It was a dingy
looking restaurant.

Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar
to her. The cash register was like the telephone of an out of
work actor-it didn't ring much. Her waitress came over and
brought a clean towel to wipe  her wet hair. She had a sweet
smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't
erase.  The lady noticed that the waitress was nearly eight months
pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her
attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little
could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan.
After the lady finished her meal, and the waitress went to get
change for her hundred dollar bill, the lady slipped right out the
door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back.
She wondered where the lady could be, then she noticed
something written on the napkin under which was 4 $100 bills.
There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote.
It said: "You don't owe me anything,

I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the way
I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is
what you do:  Do not let this chain of love end with you".
Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to
serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night
when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was
thinking about the money and what the lady had written.
How could the lady have known how much she and her husband
needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard.
She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping
next to her she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft
and low, "Everything's gonna be all right; I love you, Bryan."
 

Today, I sent you this story, now I am asking you to pass it
on...Let the Light Shine. Don't put it under a basket.
Please pass this onto a friend.

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