BRIAN BOYLE: WHY ME?

"If I were to say, 'God, why me?' about the bad things, then I should have said, 'God, why me?' about the good things that happened in my life." - Arthur Ashe

Do you sometimes get agitated, and heartbroken when seemingly incomprehensible things happen to you? Meanwhile you're a born again, God-fearing, neighbour-loving patriotic citizen of your country? Do you try to ask, "Why me?" Well, for most of people, they have been through so much 'badness' that they have been advised, like Job, to just curse God and die.
My name is Brian Boyle, and this is my story.

A month after I graduated high school, I was was involved in a near fatal car accident with a dump truck, on my way from swim practice. The impact of the crash ripped my heart across my chest. Shattered my ribs, collapsed my lungs, damaged every single organ. My kidneys and liver failed, removed my spleen and gall-bladder. Lost sixty percent of my blood. I was in a coma, on life support, for over two

TATTOOS IV

"The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others." - Albert Schweitzer

Continued from three days ago:

As he cried, I smiled through my tears. I said "Don’t say anything." I noticed the tattoo on his neck, it said "Mama tried." As we piled into the van to drive away, he was on his knees, arms around his dog, and smiling. I waved, and then broke down in tears. Just then I realized, I have so much. Yet didn't know. My worries seem trivial now: I have a home, a loving husband, four beautiful children. I have a bed. I wondered where he would sleep tonight. My daughter, Cecilia turned to me and said, "I feel so good." Although we'd helped him, the man with the tattoos gave us a gift - he taught that no matter how the outward looked like, each of us deserve of kindness, compassion, and acceptance.

Arnold Schwarzenegger hit the nail on the head when he said, "Help others and give something back. I guarantee you will discover that while public service improves the lives and the

TATTOOS III

"Condemn none: if you can stretch out a helping hand, do so..." - Swami Vivekananda

Continued:

"Go back and tell him to stay there, that we will be back in fifteen minutes," I told Nick. We hurried to the nearest store: bought our gifts carefully. "It can’t be too heavy," I explained. "He has to be able to carry it around." We settled on our purchases. We rushed back to the spot where we left him, and there he was, still waiting. And still, nobody else was stopping for him. With hands shaking, I grabbed our bags and climbed out of the car, all five of us, each carrying a gift. As we walked up to him, I feared, hoping he wasn’t a serial killer. I looked into his eyes and saw something that startled me: I'd misjudged him. He was fighting to hold back his tears. How long had it been since someone showed this man kindness? He stood there, like a child, and I felt like my small contributions were so inadequate. As he stood up, I looked directly into my eyes: there were so blue, so intense and mine filled with tears as he said, "Ma’am, I don’t know

TATTOOS II

"People who look down on other people don't end up being looked up to." - Robert Half

 Continued from yesterday:

This tattooed man was tired and worn-out - sweat trickling down his face. I reached into my purse for a ten-dollar bill. "Can I take it to him, Mom?" My son pleaded. "Be careful, honey." I warned handing him the money. I watched, as he rushed over to the man. With a smile, he handed it to him. The man was startled: he stood took the money, and put it in his pocket. "Good," I thought to myself, "now he will at least have a hot meal tonight." I felt satisfied, proud of myself. I'd made a sacrifice and now I could go on with my errands. When Nick got back into the car, he looked at me with sad, pleading eyes. I knew I had to do more

Many times, God brings us across needy people, in order to slow us down, from trying so hard to get all our needs met, to getting us meet other people's needs. We can't be kind to everyone,

TATTOOS

"People who look down on other people don't end up being looked up to." - Robert Half 

He was scary. His cardboard sign, his dog and tattoos running up and down his arms, and neck. His sign said he was, "stuck and hungry" and needed help. I always fall for anyone needing help. My husband both loves and hates this quality in me. It often makes him nervous: if he saw me right now, he’d be nervous but he wasn’t with me right now. I pulled my van over, and in my rear-view mirror, I reasoned this man: tattoos and all. He wore a bandanna, tied over his head. Anyone could see he was dirty. Nobody else was stopping for him. I could see the other drivers take one look and immediately focus on something else – anything else.

Mabinty Kanu said, "Never look down on anyone because of their present situation. Sometimes the people you look down