God's Gift

Unlike today, staffing was never a real problem, but the
company was searching for someone to work three hours a day only at lunch. All applications were scrutinized.Most of them were all looking for full time
or at least 20 hours per week. Buried at the bottom of a four-inch stack , was the only application looking for lunch part-time. His name was Johnny. Hadn't met him but the manager thought he would give him a call and see if he could stop by for an interview. When a call was sent, he wasn't in, but his mom said she would make sure he would be there.
At the accorded time, Johnny walked in. One of those moments when the manager felt a lump in his throat. Johnny had Downs Syndrome. His physical appearance was a giveaway and his speech only reinforced the obvious. The manager was young and sheltered. Had never interacted on a professional level with a developmentally disabled person. He had no clue what to do, so he went ahead and interviewed him.

He was a wonderful young man. Great outlook.
Task focused. Excited to be alive. Yes, he was hired. 3 hours a day, 3 days a week to run a grill.

The manager let the staff know what to expect. Predictably, the crew made sure that the management got the message, "no one wants to work with a retard."

Ultimately a meeting was arranged, air was cleared the company prepared for his arrival. Johnny showed up for work right on time.
He was so excited to be working. He stood at the time clock literally shaking with anticipation. He clocked in and started his training. Couldn't multi task, but was a machine on the grill.

Now for the fascinating part.....
Back in that day, there were no computer screens to work from. Every order was called by the cashier.
It required a great deal of concentration on the part of all production staff to get the order right.

While Johnny was training during his first shift, the sandwich maker next to him asked the grillman/trainer what was on the next sandwich. Johnny replied,"single, no pickle no onion." A few minutes later it happened again. It was then that they discovered Johnny had a hidden and valuable skill.
He memorized everything he heard!
Photographic hearing! WHAT A SKILL SET! It took 3 days and every sandwich maker requested to work with Johnny.He immediately was accepted by the entire crew. After his shift he would join the rest of his crew family, drinking Coke like it was water!

It was then that they discovered another trait.
Johnny was a walking/talking perpetual calendar! With a perpetual calendar as a reference, they would sit for hours asking him what day of the week was December 22, 1847. He never missed.

This uncanny trait mesmerized the crew.
His mom would come in at 2 to pick him up.
More times than not, the crew would be back there with him hamming it up. As the manager went to get him from the back, his mom said something . "Let him stay there as long as he wants.
He has never been accepted anywhere like he has been here." The manager excused himself and dried hiseyes, humbled and broken-hearted at the lesson he just learnt.

Johnny had a profound impact on that store. His presence changed a lot of people. The manager really started believing with every fibre of his body that Johnny's hiring was no accident. God's Timing and
Will is Perfect.
We are all like Johnny . We each have our shortcomings. We each have our strong points. But we are all of value. God made us that way and God doesn't make mistakes. Johnny certainly wasn't a mistake. He was a valuable gift that the management was ever grateful for.
God doesn't care if you are rich or poor, republican or democrat or black or white. He doesn't care if your chromosome structure is perfect. He doesn't care what level of education you have attained.
He cares about your heart. He wants us all to love and appreciate the gift There is a little bit of Johnny in all of us and there is a Johnny somewhere in your life that is looking for the chance to be embraced.

This Johnny brings to the fore the image of his mother, who would have cried and cried when she knew that hers was a down syndrome baby.Her depression, 'why me alone'feeling ,and her exhaustion to make him understand, an unavoidable wish for the end of the child to make her free---all came to a sudden stop.A great realisation has set in."Johnny is the gift of God and the mother has been chosen by Him as the fittest person to take care of Johnny.What a great opportunity given by the Almighty!What a confidence had God imposed on her!

Yes, she had accepted the gift.She started imparting extra ordinary love, and special care to make his life worthy .That day was a good day both for mother and son.She had a long but sure way to go.She started looking for special traits in the child.God never closes
all the doors.She was able to locate the open windows and doors.Johnny was her jewel. A treasured possession.
It was her prime duty to make him live a worthy life.
Her efforts didn't go a waste;It took longer days and months. The result was amazing. Every tiny step towards the goal was a beacon light .Congratulations to the torch bearers!
You can bring up ten gifted children without any problem.But it is a tremendous achievement to bring up one Johnny and make him shine.An unparallelled motherhood!The light that is emanating from Johnny like kids are more powerful than the radiation from a Nobel Laureate.

Jayasala 42