A Full Glass of Milk: The Milk of Human Kindness

"One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay for his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door.

Instead of a meal he decided to ask for a glass of water. She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it so slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?"

"You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness."

He said... "Then I thank you from my heart."

As the poor boy left that house, he not felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit. But that single act of kindness and a new found strenght motivated him to go on.

Many years later that same young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city' where they called in specialists to study her rare disease.

A particular doctor was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes.

Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room.

Dressed in his doctor's gown he went to see her. He instantly recognized her.

He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to her case.

After a long struggle, the battle was won.

The doctor requested the business office to pass the bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words....

"Paid in full with one glass of milk." Signed by the doctor.

Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: "Thank you, God, that Your love has spread through human hearts and hands.""

Note: The story above was thinly based from a true story. Click on the title for further reading. However, it was embellished I guess; to give it a more dramatic effect. But the point of it all, to my mind; is that kindness, however small; begets kindness.