Here is a true story by
Paul Harvey. Pass it to anyone who you think would find it interesting and
inspiring. You will be surprised who this young man turns out to be. (Do
not look at the bottom if this letter until you have read it fully.)
Years ago a hardworking
man took his family from New York State to Australia to take advantage of a work
opportunity there. Part of this man's family was a handsome young son who
had aspirations of joining the circus as a trapeze artist or an actor.
This young fellow, biding his time until a circus job or even one as a stagehand
came along, worked at the local shipyards which bordered on the worse section of
town. Walking home from work one evening, this young man was attacked by
five thugs who wanted to rob him. Instead of just giving up his money the young
fellow resisted. However they bested him easily and proceeded to beat him to a
pulp. They mashed his face with their boots, and kicked and beat his body
brutally with clubs, leaving him for dead.
When the police happened
to find him lying in the road they assumed he was dead and called for the Morgue
Wagon. On the way to the morgue a policeman heard him gasp for air, and
they immediately took him to the emergency unit at the hospital. When he
was placed on a gurney a nurse remarked to her horror, that his young man no
longer had a face. Each eye socket was smashed, his skull, legs, and arms
fractured, his nose literally hanging from his face, all is teeth were gone, and
his jaw was almost completely torn from his skull. Although his life was
spared he spent over year in the hospital.
When he finally left his
body may have healed but his face was disgusting to look at. He was no
longer the handsome youth that everyone admired.
When the young man started
to look for work again he was turned down by everyone just on account of the way
he looked. One potential employer suggested to him that he join the freak
show at the circus as The Man Who Had No Face. And he did this for a
while. He was still rejected by everyone and no one wanted to be seen in
his company. He had thoughts of suicide. This went on for five years.
One day he passed a church
and sought some solace there. Entering the church he encountered a priest
who had seen him sobbing while kneeling in a pew. The priest took pity on
him and took him to the rectory where they talked at length. The priest
was impressed with him to such a degree that he said that he would do everything
possible for him that could be done to restore his face and dignity and life, if
the young man would promise to be the best Catholic he could be, and trust in
God's mercy to free him from his torturous life.
The young man went to Mass
and communion every day, and after thanking God for saving his life, asked God
to only give him peace of mind and the grace to be the best man he could ever be
in His eyes. The priest, through his personal contacts was able to secure
the services of the best plastic surgeon in Australia. They would be no
cost to the young man, as the doctor was the priest's best friend. The
doctor too was so impressed by the young man, whose outlook now on life, even
though he had experienced the worse was filled with good humor and love.
The surgery was a
miraculous success. All the best dental work was also done for him.
The young man became everything he promised God he would be. He was also
blessed with a wonderful, beautiful wife, and many children, and success in an
industry which would have been the furthest thing from his mind as a career if
not for the goodness of God and the love of the people who cared for him.
This he acknowledges publicly.
The young man was: (Scroll
down)