The Window

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, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when the man in  the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his room-mate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed began to live 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 water while children sailed their model boats. Flowers of every color of the rainbow would flicker in the wind. 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 warm afternoon the man by the window described a circus  passing by.

  Although the other man couldn't hear the animals -- he could see them in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed the circus parade with such descriptive words. Then unexpectedly, a sinister thought entered his mind. Why should the other man alone experience all the pleasures of seeing everything while he himself never got to see anything? It didn't seem fair.   At first thought, the man felt ashamed, but as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights, his envy eroded into resentment and soon turned him sour. He began to brood and he found himself unable to sleep.  He should be by that window!

That thought, and only that thought, now controlled his life.   Late one night as he lay staring at the ceiling, the man by the window began to cough. He was choking on the fluid in his lungs. The other man watched in the dimly lit room as the struggling man by the window groped for the button to call  for help. Listening from across the room he never  moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the nurse running in. In less than five minutes the coughing and choking stopped, along with that the sound of breathing.

  Now there was only silence -- deathly silence.

  The following morning the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths. When she found the lifeless body of the man by the window, she was saddened and called the hospital attendants to  take it 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 himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside.  Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the  window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall.  

The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such  wonderful things outside this window.  The nurse responded that the man was blind -- and would not even be able to see the wall.  She said,  "Perhaps he just wanted  to encourage you."

Epilogue:   There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled. If you want to feel rich, just count all of the things you have that money can't buy. We are all richly blessed!  We hope this message ministers to your heart and instills within it the desire to let the blind see Jesus through Your eyes. To let those who are living in total darkness see the light through your eyes! And we pray that as you look at the world and minister to the dying, the hurting, the lost, sick and abused that you see them through the eyes of Jesus.