It is Super Bowl XLIII Sunday. I won't be watching my beloved Green Bay Packers, but after reading the following, I am quite interested in the game, particularly the Cardinals, and most specifically their quarterback.
This morning my husband sent me an email he received from a friend in, Indiana. Some of you have received this in an email I sent you earlier this morning. If so, skip the story if you would like and go to the bottom of this post as I am adding some things I found out after researching this gentleman a bit. For everyone else I will just say start at the top of this story and read through. I decided to email some because this story touched me so deeply. With a little research follow up, I decided to blog about this man because it has so deeply blessed me.
Email as follows:
THE STOCK BOY.
In a supermarket, Kurtis the stock boy was busily working when a new voice came over the loud speaker asking for a carry out at register 4. Kurtis was almost finished, and wanted to get some fresh air, and decided to answer the call.
As he approached the check-out stand a distant smile caught his eye, the new check-out girl was beautiful. She was an older woman (maybe 26 and he was only 22) and he fell in love.
Later that day, after his shift was over, he waited by the punch clock to find out her name. She came into the break room, smiled softly at him, took her card and punched out, then left. He looked at her card, BRENDA.
He walked out only to see her start walking up the road. Next day, he waited outside as she left the supermarket, and offered her a ride home. He looked harmless enough, and she accepted. When he dropped her off, he asked if maybe he could see her again, outside of work. She simply said it wasn't possible.
He pressed and she explained she had two children and she couldn't afford a baby-sitter, so he offered to pay for the baby-sitter. Reluctantly she accepted his offer for a date for the following Saturday.
That Saturday night he arrived at her door only to have her tell him that she was unable to go with him. The baby-sitter had called and canceled. To which Kurtis simply said, "Well, let's take the kids with us."
She tried to explain that taking the children was not an option, but again not taking no for an answer, he pressed. Finally Brenda brought him inside to meet her children. She had an older daughter who was just as cute as a bug Kurtis thought, then Brenda brought out her son, in a wheelchair.
He was born a paraplegic with Down Syndrome. Kurtis asked Brenda, "I still don't understand why the kids can't come with us?" Brenda was amazed. Most men would run away from a woman with two kids, especially if one had disabilities - just like her first husband and father of her children had done.
Kurtis was not ordinary - - - he had a different mindset.
That evening Kurtis and Brenda loaded up the kids, went to dinner and the movies. When her son needed anything Kurtis would take care of him. When he needed to use the restroom, he picked him up out of his wheelchair, took him and brought him back. The kids loved Kurtis. At the end of the evening, Brenda knew this was the man she was going to marry and spend the rest of her life with.
A year later, they were married and Kurtis adopted both of her children. Since then they have added two more kids.
So what happened to Kurtis the stock boy and Brenda the check-out girl?
Well, Mr. & Mrs. Kurt Warner now live in Arizona, where he is currently employed as the quarterback of the National Football League Arizona Cardinals and has his Cardinals in the hunt for a possible appearance in the Super Bowl. Is this a surprise ending or could you have guessed that he was not an ordinary person?
It should be noted that he also quarterbacked the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.
He has also been the NLF's Most Valuable Player twice and the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player.
AND THE REST OF THE STORY:
Today at church our minister mentioned that when Kurt, his wife and 7 children go out to eat, he has one of his children pick out a family eating at the restaurant. Kurt then tells the wait staff he is picking up the tab for that family's dinner anonymously.
He remembers the days he was working nights in the grocery store and feeding his family on food stamps.
Kind of makes it hard not to root for the Cardinals IN THE SUPER BOWL doesn't it?
END OF RECEIVED EMAILMy little comment to that question.... Maybe Green Bay should not have cut him in training camp in 1994. :-(
After reading this I decided to take a stroll through cyber space and see what I could find out about, Kurt Warner. I highly suspected he was a born again believer. Wow! is he and is he ever. This not just a man that believes the Word and puts faith in it, he puts feet on it... his. To see a little about the amazing things this man has set himself about doing, please take a minute and visit his
web site. This man and his wife Brenda, have a foundation that aids so many in need, it is their passion. That web site takes you through what they are doing and how they are doing it. I love the name he gave this foundation,
First Things First.
Brenda and Kurt Warner
Since this post concentrates on the visible evidence of the working of the Holy Spirit and one mans yielding to that leading, I feel I need to say something about the flip side of that. There are plenty of people doing good things that are beneficial to others. However, it takes faith in Jesus and accepting Him as your Savior to be born again and headed for heaven. Good works are evidence that our
faith is alive. Good works
alone however are not evidence that a person is a
Christian, that requires faith in, Jesus.
Accepting faith is what
pleases God.
Kurts' focus is to...
seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
That is so easy to spot in his life. I think this verse could easily be associated with his goals and his life. I could not help but think of this when I read about him.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16Thank you Pat, for sending us this email. What a blessing.
