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My name is Steve Rathwell - I am a special education resource teacher at St. Peter - I can certify that this is Andrew's original work. Further, completing this story was a huge achievement for him, given the severity of his learning disability:
FORGIVENESS
In 1964, there was a boy by the name Patrick Gray. He was 10 year old. He has been through so much. It would put a grown man in tears. Patrick was a lonely kid, like the wind blowing in the wild sky. He tried so hard to give his life a place. The kid had no home, no life, with no one. He lived in a box on the side of the Superstore, as he sat crying. Because he was so jealous of the other kids, that had a life, that had a home. So he drifted in the some of the most painful memories. When he was 5 years old, he still had his mom and dad. They all lived together in Iraq in a mud home his dad built for his loving family. The day after they built it, Patrick put a hole in the wall and wow wow boy! Patrick thought, “Did my dad ever look so mad!” He was furious, but no smacking, no hitting, no beating of any sort like Patrick got from his previous step dads when he did something bad. Nothing he said. That’s wierd he said inside himself. It felt like 1 hour went by but it had only been one minute. His dad still was looking at him and then at the hole. Finally, he spoke. Patrick twitched, thinking he was going to be struck, but as he blinked he saw his dad not mad anymore - but calm - very calm. He started to talk softly again. “My boy do not be frightened.” “For I have forgiven you.” Patrick looked at his dad in confusion. In Patrick’s confusion he looked around the word and the meaning of FORGIVE. The word played over and over again in his head like a broken record. His dad started again. “Son there is nothing worse than hatred and being mad...and staying mad at someone will never never help anything - please tell me you understand?” Patrick said yes dad, I do, while he wrapped his mind around the whole thing, had to have this, so he talked to his dad. He said, “ I want to be able to do what you just did- to forgive.” Dad said come here, Do you know JESUS Christ our Savior? Patrick said, “No I would love to know.” “Then, I will show you”, said dad.
A startling noise brought Patrick back from his deep sleep. “KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!!!!!!!! This noise woke him up the was someone at the end of his box. It was another kid. Are you ok Patrick said...Yes said the kid. “It is just this kid is being mean to me”. Patrick said, “You want to know something about bullies when they bother you? They start the name calling, the pain and it hurts - you should remember this, GOD sees them, GOD sees you, so don’t become them. You are better than that. If and when they come and if they do anything that hurts you like a big pain, with GOD by your side with you, scream it out loud: “I forgive you!”
At that point in time you will be overwhelmed with the love and the holiness of God our Father. YOU WILL CRY, You will laugh, you will feel so relieved. Never show your anger to the enemy, For that is there fault, they will pick on you until you feel like there no way out for you to see the truth. The bully is just confused . Don’t call him a retard or anything that could be at all hurtful. You should always be nice to him and he will realise that he is the one in the wrong.
Patrick said, “May God be with you my friend” . “God bless you”. Patrick thought to himself, “Where did that come from? I did not know what I was talking about”. But in a way, Patrick knew it was GOD that spoke, through him. Patrick went back to bed and said a prayer. He fell asleep and started to dream - Mom, dad, wow how I miss you so much. That night Patrick dreamed his mom and dad were in a mall getting clothes. Patrick was with them. They were in Iraq.
They were having so much fun. Patrick's mom and dad went to the food court. Patrick wanted to hold the door open for people. So they went, and he stayed. For about 3 minutes, all was well. Then - BOOM! Ten big guys with ski masks on their heads came running through the door that Patrick was holding. Patrick ran from it, not even thinking about his parents - only about getting away. He turned around and saw something he feared so much to see - something that would kill any normal person inside. The terrorist took these people. They were his mom and dad. As they saw him they both tried to run to him. Then two striking bangs pierced the air and there was blood everywhere - Patrick ran to their side - “Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!! he screamed
“Boy are you ok? Boy, wake up….” one big light went across his eyes and woke him up. “ You were screaming” . The police officer said to Patrick. “Come with me boy, you are better than this box and this life”.
Patrik was moved in to a good home. He was adopted by these kind Christian folks.
Today, he is 50 years old and continues to preach to people around the world. He is a preacher. Witho
FORGIVENESS
In 1964, there was a boy by the name Patrick Gray. He was 10 year old. He has been through so much. It would put a grown man in tears. Patrick was a lonely kid, like the wind blowing in the wild sky. He tried so hard to give his life a place. The kid had no home, no life, with no one. He lived in a box on the side of the Superstore, as he sat crying. Because he was so jealous of the other kids, that had a life, that had a home. So he drifted in the some of the most painful memories. When he was 5 years old, he still had his mom and dad. They all lived together in Iraq in a mud home his dad built for his loving family. The day after they built it, Patrick put a hole in the wall and wow wow boy! Patrick thought, “Did my dad ever look so mad!” He was furious, but no smacking, no hitting, no beating of any sort like Patrick got from his previous step dads when he did something bad. Nothing he said. That’s wierd he said inside himself. It felt like 1 hour went by but it had only been one minute. His dad still was looking at him and then at the hole. Finally, he spoke. Patrick twitched, thinking he was going to be struck, but as he blinked he saw his dad not mad anymore - but calm - very calm. He started to talk softly again. “My boy do not be frightened.” “For I have forgiven you.” Patrick looked at his dad in confusion. In Patrick’s confusion he looked around the word and the meaning of FORGIVE. The word played over and over again in his head like a broken record. His dad started again. “Son there is nothing worse than hatred and being mad...and staying mad at someone will never never help anything - please tell me you understand?” Patrick said yes dad, I do, while he wrapped his mind around the whole thing, had to have this, so he talked to his dad. He said, “ I want to be able to do what you just did- to forgive.” Dad said come here, Do you know JESUS Christ our Savior? Patrick said, “No I would love to know.” “Then, I will show you”, said dad.
A startling noise brought Patrick back from his deep sleep. “KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!!!!!!!! This noise woke him up the was someone at the end of his box. It was another kid. Are you ok Patrick said...Yes said the kid. “It is just this kid is being mean to me”. Patrick said, “You want to know something about bullies when they bother you? They start the name calling, the pain and it hurts - you should remember this, GOD sees them, GOD sees you, so don’t become them. You are better than that. If and when they come and if they do anything that hurts you like a big pain, with GOD by your side with you, scream it out loud: “I forgive you!”
At that point in time you will be overwhelmed with the love and the holiness of God our Father. YOU WILL CRY, You will laugh, you will feel so relieved. Never show your anger to the enemy, For that is there fault, they will pick on you until you feel like there no way out for you to see the truth. The bully is just confused . Don’t call him a retard or anything that could be at all hurtful. You should always be nice to him and he will realise that he is the one in the wrong.
Patrick said, “May God be with you my friend” . “God bless you”. Patrick thought to himself, “Where did that come from? I did not know what I was talking about”. But in a way, Patrick knew it was GOD that spoke, through him. Patrick went back to bed and said a prayer. He fell asleep and started to dream - Mom, dad, wow how I miss you so much. That night Patrick dreamed his mom and dad were in a mall getting clothes. Patrick was with them. They were in Iraq.
They were having so much fun. Patrick's mom and dad went to the food court. Patrick wanted to hold the door open for people. So they went, and he stayed. For about 3 minutes, all was well. Then - BOOM! Ten big guys with ski masks on their heads came running through the door that Patrick was holding. Patrick ran from it, not even thinking about his parents - only about getting away. He turned around and saw something he feared so much to see - something that would kill any normal person inside. The terrorist took these people. They were his mom and dad. As they saw him they both tried to run to him. Then two striking bangs pierced the air and there was blood everywhere - Patrick ran to their side - “Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!! he screamed
“Boy are you ok? Boy, wake up….” one big light went across his eyes and woke him up. “ You were screaming” . The police officer said to Patrick. “Come with me boy, you are better than this box and this life”.
Patrik was moved in to a good home. He was adopted by these kind Christian folks.
Today, he is 50 years old and continues to preach to people around the world. He is a preacher. Witho
