This will give you chills ... People always say how mean kids can
> > > > >>be, never how nice they can be.
> > > > >>This will either make you cry, give you cold chills or just leave
> > > > >>you cold, but it puts life into perspective!
> > > > >>At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled
> > > > >>children, the father of one of the school's students delivered a
> >
> > > > >>speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended.
> >
> > > > >>After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a
> >
> > > > >>question.
> >
> > > > >>"Everything God does is done with perfection. Yet, my son Shay
> >
> > > > >>cannot
> >
> > > > >>learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as
> >
> > > > >>other
> >
> > > > >>children do.
> >
> > > > >>Where is God's plan reflected in my son?" The audience was stilled
> >
> > > > >>by the query. The father continued. "I believe," the father
> >
> > > > >>answered, "that when God brings a child like Shay into the world,
> >
> > > > >>an opportunity to realize the divine Plan presents itself and it
> >
> > > > >>comes in the way people treat that child."
> >
> > > > >> Then, he told the following story:
> >
> > > > >>Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay
> >
> > > > >>knew
> >
> > > > >>were playing baseball. Shay asked, "Do you think they will let me
> >
> > > > >>play?" Shay's father knew that the boys would not want him on
> >
> > > > >>their team. But the father understood that if his son were allowed
> >
> > > > >>to play it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging.
> >
> > > > >> Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked
> >
> > > > >>if
> >
> > > > >>Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance from his
> >
> > > > >>teammates.
> >
> > > > >>Getting none, he took matters into his own hands and said, "We are
> >
> > > > >>losing by six runs, and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess
> >
> > > > >>he can be on our team and we'll try to put him up to bat in the
> >
> > > > >>ninth inning." In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team
> >
> > > > >>scored a few runs but was still behind by three. At the top of the
> >
> > > > >>ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the outfield.
> >
> > > > >>Although no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be
> >
> > > > >>on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him
> >
> > > > >>from the stands.
> >
> > > > >> In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again.
> >
> > > > >>Now,
> >
> > > > >>with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was
> >
> > > > >>on base. Shay was scheduled to be the next at-bat. Would the team
> >
> > > > >>actually let Shay bat at this juncture and give away their chance
> >
> > > > >>to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone
> >
> > > > >>knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even
> >
> > > > >>know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.
> >
> > > > >>However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher moved a few
> >
> > > > >>steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least be able to
> >
> > > > >>make contact.
> >
> > > > >> The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The
> >
> > > > >>pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly
> >
> > > > >>toward Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit
> >
> > > > >>a slow ground ball to the pitcher.
> >
> > > > >> The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could easily have
> >
> > > > >>thrown
> >
> > > > >>the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that
> >
> > > > >>would
> >
> > > > >>have ended the game. Instead, the pitcher took the ball and threw
> >
> > > > >>it on a high arc to right field, far beyond reach of the first
> >
> > > > >>baseman.
> >
> > > > >> Everyone started yelling, "Shay, run to first, run to first."
> >
> > > > >>Never
> >
> > > > >>in his life had Shay ever made it to first base. He scampered down
> >
> > > > >>the
> >
> > > > >>baseline, wide-eyed and startled. Everyone yelled, "run to second,
> >
> > > > >>run to second!" By the time Shay was rounding first base, the
> >
> > > > >>right fielder had the ball. He could have thrown the ball to the
> >
> > > > >>second baseman for a tag. But the right fielder understood what the
> >
> > > > >>pitcher's intentions had been, so he threw the ball high and far
> >
> > > > >>over the third baseman's head. Shay ran towards second base as the
> >
> > > > >>runners ahead of him deliriously circled the bases towards home.
> >
> > > > >> As Shay reached second base, the opposing shortstop ran to him,
> >
> > > > >>turned him in the direction of third base, and shouted, "run to
> >
> > > > >>third!" As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams were
> >
> > > > >>screaming, "Shay! run home!"
> >
> > > > >>Shay ran home, stepped on home plate and was cheered as the hero
> >
> > > > >>for hitting a "grand slam" and winning the game for his team. "That
> >
> > > > >>day," said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face,
> >
> > > > >>"the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of the Divine Plan
> >
> > > > >>into this world."
> >
Leslie
