i just passed a man on the side of the road with jumper cables in his hand as he stood helplessly next to his broken-down conversion van. maybe i've heard one too many abduction stories, because i drove right past the guy without even thinking about stopping to help. in a college self defense course, we read the gift of fear and learned to listen to our sense of fear (great book, by the way). had i stopped to help this man, i'm sure i could have used some of my karate moves on him if he had tried to harm me, but what if he had a gun? am i just paranoid?
the good samaritan story always comes to mind in instances like these. we are supposed to love our neighbors as ourselves, but how do we do that in today's world? the world was a dangerous place in the samaritan's day, but he still stopped and put his life on the line to help someone.
there has to be a balance. i want to help, but i don't want to end up on the evening news. maybe that is my problem and i'm just like the levite and the priest from the good samaritan story. does anyone else struggle with this or have some advice?
*update*
if you read the comments, you'll see a very amazing response to my post. also, i just got back from a run with bozeman and while we were out there, it started pouring rain. i didn't mind it, and the dog loved it, but someone apparently thought that we were in need. a lady pulled off of the very busy road that we were running next to, rolled her window down in the pouring rain, and tried to give me her umbrella. what a sweetheart. i thanked her for her kindness and told her that we were enjoying ourselves.
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5 comments:
You were very wise to follow your instincts! As women we have to be especially careful. I've had to make it a rule that if my husband is not with me, I will not even consider stopping. There are other options for us as far as helping someone out. We can call the highway patrol and notify them of a stalled car off the side of the road.
I blogged about a situation that happened this summer where a homeless man was asking people for money at a Chick-Fil-A restaurant. I wanted to help him out so bad but did not feel that I should unroll my window as I drove through the drive-thru. I had my children with me as well and wanted to keep them safe. When I approached the drive-thru window, I talked to the manager and bought him a meal. The manager pulled him inside the store as I drove around and let him eat inside. The idea to purchase him a meal was totally God because I was sitting there completely clueless as to how to help him until I prayed to Him and asked what I could do to help. I guess that WHEN we are supposed to help, God will provide us with answers on when and how to help a stranger in need.
That was a good response. I was thinking along the same lines of other ways to help. We have so many resources available to us today that weren't around back in the day of the Samaritan account. I'm sure someone would've used a cell phone if they could have. The point is, your heart was in the right place, and THAT is the difference between your dilemma, and that of the levite and the priest. They were more worried about being seen with the wrong person or getting dirty. They weren't as concerned about their safety. I think your man would agree you did the right thing. All I have to say for myself is, "Thank the Lord for Onstar!" Don't you think it's interesting that there is even a "Good Samaritan" clause in today's law? Funny how inundated our country is with the Bible and they don't even know the half of it!
That was a good post! On a side note, are you still taking Karate? I can just see you and Boze out splashing in puddles - Annd would be so jealous!
I don't know what I did, but somehow deleted my first comment and then didn't re-post it. Or maybe I did and then, oh who knows.
Anyway...
Two reasons I would not stop: 1. Being alone and 2. My irrational hate of conversion vans (see post, 'quirky or crazy, you be the judge').
You did the right thing.
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