What Money Can't Buy

          Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room.  One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs.  His bed was next to the room’s only window.  The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.  The men talked for hours on end.  They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, and their hobbies.  They shared their involvement in the military service during the war and how God had seen them through.  They spoke of their personal relationships to God and how much He had blessed them.

            Every day, when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.  The man in the other bed began to live, and long for, those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.  The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake.  Ducks and swans played on the blue water while children sailed their multi-colored model boats.  Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color of the rainbow.  Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.  As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.  One morning he described a beautiful sunrise over the horizon.  Another evening he brought to life a magnificent sunset.  One day it was raining and he detailed all the hues of a double rainbow.  One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by.

            Although the other man couldn’t hear the band, he could see it in his mind’s eye as the gentleman by the window wove the scene with intricate detail.  During these daily visual excursions to the outside world, both men forgot about their pain and sickness.  At the end of each session they would pray together and thank God for the beauty of each day and for their families and loved ones.  Days and weeks passed.  Each day was filled with the mental images and descriptions of WHAT MONEY CAN”T BUY.

            One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths, only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep.  She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.  As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window.  The nurse was happy to make the switch and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.  Slowly, painfully, he propped up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside the window.  Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it for himself.  He strained painfully to turn himself so he could see out the window beside the bed.  To his surprise, the window faced a blank wall.

           

The man called the nurse and told her of all the marvelous hours he had spent listening to his roommate describe what he saw outside that window.  Then he asked her what could have compelled his deceased friend to describe such wonderful things outside the window.  The nurse responded that the man in the other bed was legally blind and could not even see the wall.  She said, “Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you!”

This story puts this time of year into perspective, doesn’t it?  When you have some free time, stop and think about WHAT MONEY CAN”T BUY in your life and be thankful for those things.  There is tremendous joy in making others happy, regardless of our own situations.  Joy and happiness are doubled when shared.  If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can’t buy.