One of my best friends in the world sent me a little story in an email the other day. It was the nicest emails I've ever gotten in my life. Certainly the nicest one of 2009 so far.
The story was of 2 young boys, one a little older than the other. They were walking along a dirt road in the early 1900s. They came upon an old coat and a pair of very worn shoes. They saw a man working by himself in a distant field. The younger boy thought it would be funny to hide the man's items and watch from a hidden location while he searched for them.
The older boy thought better of this and suggested they each place a silver dollar in the man's shoes and watch from a hidden location for his reaction when he found them. They boys went with this plan.
The man finished his work and returned to change from his work boots into his shoes and coat. When he put his foot in the first shoe he found the dollar and was amazed. He looked around but saw no one. He put his foot in the other shoe and found the second dollar. He held the dollars in his hands and thanked God above for these blessings. The man said that his wife was ill and he hadn't enough money to feed his children, so these dollars were a true gift. The boys watched and listened to exactly what their good deeds had meant.
My friend sent this as a video clip and a note was included in the message. It said, "I perceive you to be a silver dollar giver."
I send and receive a lot of funny emails, but every so often one comes across your desk that is serious, striking, and lasting. This was definitely one of those. Thanks unnamed friend!