哥哥的心愿

A friend of mine named Paul received an automobile from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office， a boy was walking around the shiny new car， admiring it. “Is this your car， Mister？” he asked. Paul nodded， “My brother gave it to me for Christmas.” The boy was astounded， “You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn’t cost you anything？ Boy， I wish...” he hesitated. “I wish，” the boy went on， “that I could be a brother like that.” Paul looked at the boy in astonishment， then impulsively he added， “Would you like to take a ride in my car？” “Oh， yes， I’d love that.” said the boy happily.

After a short ride， the boy turned with his eyes aglow， said， “Mister， would you mind driving in front of my house？” Paul smiled. He thought he knew what the boy wanted—he wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong. “Will you stop where those two steps are？” the boy asked. He ran up the steps. Then in a little while Paul heard him coming back， but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled brother. He sat him down on the bottom step， then sort of squeezed up against him and pointed to the car， “There she is， Buddy， just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn’t cost him a cent. And some day I’m gonna give you one just like it… then you can see for yourself all the pretty things on the Christmas windows.” Paul got out and lifted the crippled boy to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and they began a memorable holiday ride.

That Christmas Eve， Paul learned what Jesus meant when he said， “It is more blessed to give.”

圣誕節時，我的朋友保羅的哥哥送他一輛新車作為圣誕禮物。平安夜當天，保羅離開辦公室時，一個男孩繞著那輛閃閃發亮的新車走來走去，贊嘆地問：“先生，這是你的車？”保羅點點頭說：“這是我哥哥送給我的圣誕節禮物。”男孩滿臉驚訝地說：“你是說這是你哥哥送的禮物，沒花你一分錢？天哪，我真希望……”男孩猶豫了一下，“我希望能像你哥哥那樣，送車給弟弟。”男孩繼續說。保羅驚訝地看著那男孩，脫口而出：“你要不要坐我的車去兜風？”“哦，當然好了，我太想坐了！”男孩開心地說。

車開了一小段路后，男孩轉過頭來，眼睛閃閃發亮地說：“先生，你能不能把車子開到我家門前？”保羅微笑，他知道這孩子想什么——他想向鄰居炫耀，讓大家知道他坐了一部大轎車回家。但是保羅猜錯了。“你能不能把車子停在那兩級臺階前？”男孩問道。保羅照做后，男孩下車跑上了階梯，過了一會兒保羅聽到他回來的聲音，但注意到男孩的動作似乎有些緩慢。原來男孩把跛腳的弟弟帶出來并將他安置在第一個臺階上，緊緊地抱著他，指著那輛新車說：“你看，這就是我剛才在樓上對你說的那輛新車。這是保羅的哥哥送給他的圣誕禮物，沒花他一分錢！將來有一天我也會送給你一輛這樣的車，到那時你就能自己去看那些在圣誕節時掛在窗上的漂亮飾品了。”保羅走下車，把跛腳男孩抱到車子的前座。興奮得滿眼放光的男孩也爬上車子，坐在弟弟的身旁。就這樣，他們三人開始了一次令人難忘的假日兜風。

那個平安夜，保羅才真正體會到“施比受更有福”的道理。