The Stock Boy

Kurtis the Stock Boy and Brenda the Checkout Girl 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 Arizona Cardinals, celebrating Sunday's victory and preparing for the Super Bowl.

Kurt Warner quarterbacked the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI and has been the NFL's Most Valuable Player twice and the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player. As great as these accomplishments are, the most important thing he has ever done, according to Kurt himself, was to trust in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. When you check out his website, "First Things First" (based on Matthew 6:33), you will find the following testimony...

"I was raised in the church, so faith and God were part of my life, but for me it was just kind of there - there on Sundays and when I was going through a tough time. I always had God as a background, but I never truly accepted Jesus until I was about 25 years old. My arena league teammates, a pastor friend of mine, and my future wife were constantly asking questions about my beliefs, and I began to question where I was and whether I had really put my complete faith in God. Their questions led me to the Truth - that faith is about a relationship, and it's about Jesus. Up to that point, I had never really considered that I struggled for so long and so many things went against me. I was swimming upstream. When I finally gave my life over to God - it was then the joy and happiness came into my life. Now, I realize my role here on Earth is not to throw touchdown passes and win football games, although that is the position and the platform that I have been given. I realize my goal is to win as many people to Jesus as possible. I have an open-door policy, where I'm able to talk about what is most important to me, and obviously, God is #1."