Inside the Shell

When I visited my dad at the Rehab Hospital in New Jersey, there was another patient sitting beside him in a wheelchair, just in front of the Nurses' station. I was drawn to him. Out of the blue, I said, "I bet you were an excellent football player when you were young." He looked up at me, and his face broke into the kindest smile. "Yes, I was-in college," said he. "But I never became professional." After that, conversation flowed as if we were two old friends. I soon found out that Albert Andrew had lost both his parents within a year of each other, and it had devastated him. I did not ask exactly why he was in Rehab; he looked much too young to be there. I did find out, however, that he believed in God. I shared with him some sections of Scripture that pertained to Eternal life and showed that there is always hope when you trust in the Lord. At the end of our little chat, Albert held my hand. With trembling lips he said, "I have waited a long time to speak with someone like you. Thank you."