A wealthy man, convinced that money could buy anything, destroyed a poor old man’s house to make way for a shopping mall. Later, while examining the debris, he discovered a childhood photo among the rubble.
Can greed make someone so blind that they harm others to fulfill their own desires? In July 2021, real estate developer Elliot Morris from Florida unintentionally shattered the dreams of an elderly man named Joe Brooke in his pursuit of wealth.
Elliot was searching for the perfect spot to build a fancy mall when he noticed Joe’s property. He was taken with the location and decided it would be the ideal place for his new project. Elliot chose to demolish Joe’s house to clear the land. When Joe protested, Elliot dismissed him as just an obstacle that could easily be removed.
Joe pleaded with Elliot, explaining that the house held precious memories of his late wife and that he had nowhere else to go. However, Elliot ignored Joe’s desperate requests. He informed Joe that he had already received approval from the mayor and planned to start the demolition in two weeks, leaving Joe with no choice but to leave.
Despite his fears, Joe refused to accept any money in exchange for his cherished home. As the deadline approached, he hoped for a miracle, but the day of demolition arrived too quickly.
When Elliot returned with his workers and heavy machinery, Joe once again begged him not to tear down his house. Elliot coldly reminded Joe that he had already given him a deadline and handed him a check, showing no concern for Joe’s situation.
Elliot ordered one of his workers to take Joe to a nursing home and insisted that Joe take the money, but Joe refused. With tears in his eyes, Joe told Elliot that he had let greed consume him, reminding him that money could not buy everything. Elliot dismissed Joe’s words and watched with satisfaction as his workers demolished the house. He felt a sense of triumph as he saw the building fall to the ground.
Later that day, Elliot returned to the site to celebrate his achievement. As he walked over the ruins, he stumbled upon the shattered glass of a photo frame. Picking it up, he recognized the image of his mother holding a baby.
Confused, Elliot realized this was a photo of him as a child, and he wondered how it had ended up in Joe’s home. Driven by curiosity, he immediately went to the nursing home to confront Joe. When Joe saw Elliot, he was upset, expecting more trouble. But Elliot showed him the photo he had found. He wanted to know how Joe had the picture of his mother.
Joe explained that he had found Elliot’s mother, Samantha, on the street 30 years ago, struggling in the rain with a baby in her arms. Joe had just come from his wife’s funeral and felt compelled to help her.
Joe shared that he had taken Samantha in, as she had been thrown out by her boyfriend. For five years, Samantha lived with Joe, who treated her like family. Eventually, Joe helped her get back on her feet, enabling her to start her own business and build a life for herself.
Elliot felt his heart break as Joe spoke, realizing that he had been unaware of the love and support Joe had given his mother. Overwhelmed with guilt, Elliot decided to make amends. The next day, he put up a sign on Joe’s old property and began constructing a new home for him.
Within a few months, a beautiful house replaced the one Elliot had destroyed. Elliot gifted this new home to Joe, sincerely apologizing for his past ignorance. Joe, however, refused any additional help, saying he would only accept the house and wanted nothing else but Elliot’s love. Joe moved into his new home, leading a simple life. He inspired Elliot, teaching him that compassion and love matter more than wealth.
In the end, Elliot decided to use his resources to help others by building retirement homes for those in need. He learned to respect people’s homes and dreams, vowing never to harm anyone for personal gain again. The story reminds us of two important lessons: never destroy someone else’s happiness to fulfill your own dreams and strive to create something beneficial for others when you have the chance.
Mom discovers son kneeling in prayer in Walmart
One day, young Braydon went shopping with his mother at the large US grocery store Walmart. But it wasn’t long before his mother became frightened when she discovered Braydon had vanished.
His mother found him after frantic, terrified searching for a few minutes.
Her initial thought was to chastise him for abandoning her. Yet she paused to consider why when she noticed him kneeling and praying in front of a sign board. She then looked at the wall more closely.
The worst nightmare of any parent is losing a child, even if it’s just temporarily. It is, of course, not unusual, particularly in areas with high pedestrian traffic, such shopping centers and huge grocery shops. At least for Braydon’s mother. She was eager to finish her shopping at Walmart, one of the biggest and busiest retail companies in the world, as soon as possible.
Faith Tap reports that Braydon’s mother stated, “I had to run into Walmart.” I looked back to make sure my son was by my side.
But he wasn’t. In a matter of moments, Braydon had plotted to distance himself from his mother.
When she finally located him, Braydon was knelt in front of a sign. He was in prayer. She asked him what he was doing since she was taken aback. But as she drew nearer to the board and looked, she was able to make sense of her son’s behavior.
It said, “Every second counts,” on the board. There were photographs of missing children next to those words. After seeing the board and leaving his mother’s side, little Braydon prayed to God that the kids would go back to their homes.
The heartwarming picture and the narrative that went with it went popular on the internet very fast. After seeing Braydon’s tale, the Facebook page for Aubrey Jayce Carroll, an adolescent boy who has been missing since 2016, made the decision to write a tribute to him.
“I would like to thank you for your prayers for these children, even if I am not sure who this little guy is. Aubrey Carroll is one of my cousins out there. I’m definitely impacted by this. I would love to thank this child in person if I knew where he was or who he was.
Since then, Facebook users have shared the picture of Braydon kneeling in front of the board more than 115,000 times.
You will agree that 800,000 or more children in the US are reported missing each year, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
It’s best summarized by a Facebook commentator on the image: “It truly doesn’t matter whether or not you believe in God. This young person in Walmart was thinking of other people and trying to help as much as he could. If more people emulated him, the world would be a better place.
Well done, mom! You’re doing something right—foundation is essential!
Bless his heart, God. I adore how deeply his faith permeates his consciousness.
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