Folks, I forward the following from a brother as food for thought.
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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 a favor to ask.  I have a friend I'd
like to bring home 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!!!
There's a miracle called Friendship that dwells in the heart. You don't
know how it happens or when it gets started, but you know the special lift
it always brings and you realize that Friendship is God's most precious
gift!

Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed.  They make us smile and encourage
us to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they
always want to open their hearts to us.  Show your friends how much you
care....
Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND.  If it comes back to you,
then you'll know you have a friend for life.

                        Bro. Jimar J. William Wilson