MyGrandpaNybakkenlovedlife—especiallywhenhecouldplayatrickonsomebody.Atthosetimes,hislargeNorwegianframeshookwithlaughterwhilehefeignedinnocentsurprise,exclaiming,“Oh,forevermore!”ButonacoldSaturdayindowntownChicago,GrandpafeltthatGodplayedatrickonhim,andGrandpawasntlaughing.
Mothersfatherworkedasacarpenter.Onthisparticularday,hewasbuildingsomecratesfortheclotheshischurchwassendingtoanorphanageinChina.Onhiswayhome,hereachedintohisshirtpockettofindhisglasses,buttheyweregone.Herememberedputtingthemtherethatmorning,sohedrovebacktothechurch.Hissearchprovedfruitless.
Whenhementallyreplayedhisearlieractions,herealizedwhathappened.Theglasseshadslippedoutofhispocketunnoticedandfallenintooneofthecrates,whichhehadnailedshut.HisbrandnewglasseswereheadingforChina!
TheGreatDepressionwasatitsheight,andGrandpahadsixchildren.Hehadspenttwentydollarsforthoseglassesthatverymorning.
“Itsnotfair,”hetoldGodashedrovehomeinfrustration.“Ivebeenveryfaithfulingivingoffmytimeandmoneytothepoor,andnowthis.”Severalmonthslater,thedirectoroftheorphanagewasonvacationintheUnitedStates.HewantedtovisitallthechurchesthatsupportedhiminChina,sohecametospeakonSundaynightatmygrandfatherssmallchurchinChicago.Grandpaandhisfamilysatintheircustomaryseatsamongthesparsecongregation.
“Butmostofall,”hesaid,“Imustthankyoufortheglassesyousentlastyear.Yousee,theyhadjustsweptthroughtheorphanage,destroyingeverything,includingmyglasses.Iwasdesperate.”“EvenifIhadthemoney,therewassimplynowayofreplacingthoseglasses.Alongwithnotbeingabletoseewell,Iexperiencedheadacheseveryday,somycoworkersandIweremuchinprayeraboutthis.Thenyourcratesarrived.Whenmystaffremovedthecovers,theyfoundapairofglasseslyingontop.”
Theorphanagedirectorpausedlongenoughtolethiswordssinkin.Then,stillgrippedwiththewonderofitall,hecontinued:“Folks,whenItriedontheglasses,itwasasthoughtheyhadbeencustom-madejustforme!Iwanttothankyouforbeingapartofthat!”
Thepeoplelistened,happyforthemiraculousglasses.Butthedirectorsurelymusthaveconfusedtheirchurchwithanother,theythought.Therewerenoglassesontheirlistofitemstobesentoverseas.Butsittingquietlyintheback,withtearsstreamingdownhisface,mygrandfather,anordinarycarpenter,realizedthatGodhadusedhiminanextra-ordinarywaytohelpsomeonewhoseneedwasbiggerthanhis!
外公尼拜肯达观、幽默,尤其是在他与人开玩笑的时候,常假装一脸茫然无辜的惊讶状,那魁梧的挪威人的体魄,随着他的笑声抖动着,“哦,就是这样的!”可是,在芝加哥商业区那一个寒冷的星期六的冬日,外公感到上帝跟他开了一个玩笑,让他怎么样也笑不起来。
外公是个木匠,这天他正在给他所在的教堂赶制木箱,准备装上衣服送往中国的一家孤儿院。在完工后回家的路上,他伸手摸衬衣胸袋时,发现眼镜不见了。他记得早晨将眼镜放进了衣袋,于是连忙开车回教堂去寻找,可寻遍教堂的每一个角落也没有找到。
外公仔细回忆了这一天的情景,意识到眼镜一定是在他干活时滑落掉进其中的一只木箱里了。他的崭新眼镜要跟着运往中国了!
那正是经济大萧条最严重的时候,外公养有六个孩子,而那副眼镜是他那天早晨刚刚花了20美元才买的!
“真是不公平,”外公沮丧极了,驱车回家时一路上都在向上帝抱怨,“我一直真诚地奉献我的时间和金钱帮助穷人,现在又搭上了我的眼镜!”
几个月后,孤儿院的院长来美度假,希望参观帮助中国孤儿院的所有教堂。这个星期日,他来到了芝加哥我外公所在的那个小教堂作演讲。在这个人数不多的集会上,外公他们一家子坐在他们常坐的座位上。
“我首先要感谢你们去年给我们捐赠的那副眼镜,”院长说,“当时我们孤儿院刚遭劫难,什么都被砸坏了,包括我的眼镜。我当时简直绝望到了极点。”
“要知道,即便有钱我也难买到眼镜呀。没有眼镜我不但看不清东西,还头疼。我和我的同事们天天祈祷,结果,你们捐赠的箱子到了,我的手下打开箱子,发现最顶层放着一副眼镜。”院长顿了一会儿,会场哑雀无声,大伙儿屏息静气。院长接着说,“伙计们,我带上眼镜试了试,嗬!简直就像是为我定做的!真是太谢谢你们了!”
大家静静地听着,为那神奇的眼镜高兴,可心里都在想,院长一定是弄错了,去年,他们的捐赠物品单上并没有眼镜这一项。
此时,坐在教堂一角的外公正在静静流泪。我外公,一位普通的木匠,正在为上帝以一种超凡的方式,借他来帮助一位比他更需要帮助的人而欣喜呢!