Last night, as Jonathan was just finishing up his mowing and, again, was at the bottom of our yard by the lane, he hears someone approach. He turns and sees the kid who threw rocks along with the boy's dad. The dad shakes Jonathan's hand and says, "My son has something to say to you."
The kid looks at his dad, then at Jonathan. "I'm sorry I threw rocks at you. I shouldn't have done that."
Jonathan nods his head. "Thank you for your apology. I forgive you." Then he extends his hand. The boy stands up a bit straighter, grips Jonathan's hand, and they shake.
"This Saturday," says the dad, "if you need some chores done out here in your yard, you just call. He'll come down and help."
Then the boy hands Jonathan a note and, with another handshake from dad, they leave Jonathan to his mower. Jonathan opens the note, reads again the boy's apology and at the bottom of the note is the family's phone number for Jonathan to call if he has chores for him to do. A suggestion was even given from the lad as to what kind of chores: "I could pick up all the rocks in your yard so you don't mow on them." And then he signed his name.
Jonathan came inside and told me what happened. And I actually teared up. A great weight felt lifted, and it seemed for a moment that maybe the world wasn't quite so dark after all. Well, at least on our lane the sun was shining a little brighter.
top image from: purenourishment.wordpress.com
