在1883年,一位名叫约翰.罗伊伯苓的非常有创造力的工程师有了一个灵感,他要建一座宏伟的大桥,把纽约和长岛连起来。然而全世界的桥梁建筑专家都认为,这是不可能实现的壮举,并让罗伊伯苓忘了这个念头,这件事做不成,这太不现实,从前没有人这样做过。
罗伊伯苓怎么也放不下对这座桥的想象,他一直在考虑这座桥,他深知这座桥能被建起来。他要把自己的梦想与人分享,经过多次商讨与劝说,他终于使自己的儿子确信,那座桥事实上是可以建成的,他的儿子名叫华盛顿,是一位成长中的,未来的工程师。
一开始合作,父子俩就开发出了怎样建桥和怎样克服困难的方案。带着兴奋和鼓舞,还有直面巨大挑战的顽强精神,他们雇用了人手,开始建造他们梦想中的大桥。
工程开始得很顺利,可是,开工没有几个月,悲剧就在施工现场发生了,那次事故夺走了罗伊伯苓的生命,华盛顿受了重伤,因为脑损伤,导致他不能走路,不能说话,甚至不能行动。
“我告诉过他们会这样。”
“疯狂的人们和他们疯狂的梦想。”
“追逐幻想是很愚蠢的。”
每个人做出的都是负面的评价,人们还认为这个计划要泡汤了,因为罗伊伯苓父子是唯一知道该怎么建桥的人。
尽管面临着巨大的障碍,华盛顿从来没有气馁,他仍旧怀有建成大桥的炙热的梦想,而且,他的头脑还跟从前一样灵活。
他努力去激励他的朋友们,用热情感染他的朋友们,但他们都因为任务的艰巨感到畏缩。他躺在医院的病床上,沐浴着透过窗户照射进来的阳光,体会着吹开白纱帘的微风,他能看到蓝天和忽隐忽现的树梢。
似乎,这是一个让他不要放弃的信息。他突然有了主意。他只有一个手指能动,他决定好好利用它,通过移动手指,他慢慢开发出了与他妻子进行交流的办法。
他用手指碰了碰他妻子的胳膊,暗示她,他要她重新联络那些工程师,然后,他又用同样的击打他妻子的办法,告诉工程师该做什么。这看上去很笨拙,但工程又继续进行了。
华盛顿用手指在妻子的胳膊上敲了13年的指示,直到大桥完工。今天宏伟的布鲁克林大桥荣耀地矗立在那里,它是对一个人的胜利的颂歌,这个人有不屈不挠的精神和不会被击败的决心。它也是对那些工程师们和他们的团队精神的颂歌,他们把信心给了一个半个世界的人都认为是疯子的人。矗立在那里的大桥还是他妻子的爱和奉献的纪念碑,13年来,这位妻子耐心地破解丈夫传达的信息,并转告工程师们该做什么。
或许这是永不言败的精神的最佳典范,这种精神帮他克服了身体上的残疾,实现了几乎不得能实现的目标。
通常,我们会在日常生活中遇到困难,我们的困难与许多其他人的苦难比起来就显得太微不足道了。布鲁克林大桥向我们展示,只要有决心和毅力,不管有多少胜算,哪怕是看上去不可能实现的梦想也能实现。
有了决心和毅力,最遥远的梦想也会实现。
Gift
A young man was getting ready to graduate college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer’s showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted.
As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautiful wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible. Angrily, he raised his voice at his father and said, “With all your money you give me a Bible?” and stormed out of the house, leaving the holy book.
Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care things. When he arrived at his father’s house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart.
He began to search his father’s important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. As he read those words, a car key dropped from an envelope taped behind the Bible. It had a tag with the dealer’s name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words...PAID IN FULL.
How many times do we miss God’s blessings because they are not packaged as we expected?