Window To The World

Two men occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in bed for an hour each afternoon; his bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all of his time flat on his back.

The men talked for hours. From the trivial to the profound, they spoke of wives and families, homes, jobs, and dreams. And every afternoon when the man by the window could sit up, he would encourage his roommate with vivid descriptions of all that he could see through the window. The man in the other bed began to relish those one-hour periods where the world beyond the window became real.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans dotted the waters where children sailed their model boats. Young and old strolled amidst flowers of breathtaking color. Stately trees graced a lush landscape silhouetted by a majestic city skyline.

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a passing parade. Although his roommate couldn't hear the band, he closed his eyes and fully experienced the pageantry his friend's words brought to life.

Weeks passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to find that the man by the window had died peacefully in his sleep. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. Finally, he would have the joy of having his own window to the world.

Once the switch was made, he slowly, painfully, propped himself up to take his first look. He was shocked: the window faced a blank wall. What could have compelled his deceased roommate to describe those wonder scenes outside such a window? "Your roommate was blind," explained the nurse, "and couldn't even see the wall. Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

This story is based on a "parable" that's been circulating on the Internet. But it does have a good message -- one that I need to take more to heart as a husband and father.

Our words have the ability to build up or to tear down, to encourage or to defeat. With them I can infuse others with energy or drain it from them. I can impart vision and purpose, or I can make all seem hopeless with my complaints about the "blank walls" that I face in life. I can praise my family members, or I can condemn them.

Words are so important that Jesus said, "By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

I may not be able to choose the circumstances of my life, but I can choose the words that I use in response to them. I must determine to choose my words carefully; they may be the windows through which some will see the world. And what will they see?

Copyright 1999 James McAlister

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