Yesterday morning Kayla had a dentist appointment. While she was there, I had a pie to deliver to a friend whose wife had a baby a few weeks ago. On my way back to pick up Kayla from the dentist, driving down Michigan, lying on the side of the road was a man that had obviously fallen off his bike. He was entangled in his bike, and had fallen on the chain link fence that surrounded another's property. He was obviously crying or whaling from the look on his face.
If you live in Pensacola, you know that Michigan turns into several other streets. Michigan is also a highly traveled road. Hundreds, literally hundreds of cars drive down this road in less than an hours time span. When I first saw the man, I thought, "Oh, that poor man. I need to help." But, I shoved it off and thought, "Let someone else, I have my two year old daughter with me." I continued watching through my rear view mirror. No one stopped. No one. I made a U-turn as soon as traffic would permit and dialed 9-1-1 on my nearly dead cell phone. When I got back to where the gentleman was lying, he had gone from crying to just lying there.
From the time I first saw the gentleman to the time I got back to the where he had fallen, about three minutes had past. In the waiting time, I was torn between getting out and helping this man and staying in the car with my two year old. There are some of you who will be thinking I should have gotten out and helped. I probably should have and wonder still what I should have done. I parked in the business next to where he was lying. The ambulance arrived only three to four minutes later. It seemed like the longest three or four minutes of my life. The entire time I was on the phone with the 9-1-1- dispatcher, I kept saying "Why isn't anyone stopping to help this man?!" No one was stopping, in fact, from my side line view, not one person even looked in his direction! Most of them were talking on their cell phone or texting.
Prior to getting where I currently was, Kayla had helped me by writing out my "To-Do" list that I was telling her. My list was long and I was gung ho about getting it all done. After seeing all the people driving by and not paying this man any attention, the first thing I thought about was my huge "To-Do" list. How many times have I missed an opportunity to help someone in need because I was "too busy?" How many times have I been so consumed with "me" and what I "just have to do" that I miss an opportunity to bless someone, or even just help someone.
While sitting at a red light, trying to get back to get Kayla, who had already called to tell me she was waiting on me, contemplating the events that had just transpired, wondering if I should have gotten out and if I should have done more, a single feathers floats by! I could not believe that in the middle of Pensacola traffic, with no bird around, a single feather just floats by. In my heart, I knew I had learned what I was supposed to learn and done, I guess, what I should have done.
I'm reminded of the Good Samaritan as I am writing. Selfless acts and doing for others that seem unworthy.
You see, that guy on the bike, he was obviously handicapped and was more than likely homeless.
I'm just glad Jesus wasn't too busy for me, that He didn't think I wasn't worthy of His love, and that He stopped and sent someone to help me.
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