Just as I was walking up to the cash register to pay for my items a store worker behind another register slumped downward to the floor where another worker thank God quickly came behind her and held her upper body up while others gathered round and someone quickly called 911.
Quickly different people jumped in to help in various ways. A medical professional knelt before the woman who seemed to be in and out of consciousness. I called out to a store worker to please use shopping carts to place a barrier around the woman and her helpers. One person went to get juice.
And by God’s grace despite all the people helping in one way or another, there was a small gap of space next to the store worker holding up her co-worker’s slumped body. Just enough space for me to crouch down and do what God had called me there to do.
To pray and offer comfort. To pray, pray, pray and encourage.
Countless times over the years God has called me to emergencies whether on the side of the road after car wrecks, whether people overdosing, possibly dead, and/or near death on the streets of New York City, and on and on. And over and again He has called me during these emergencies to love, pray, encourage, comfort, and/or share the Gospel, give out a Gospel tract, make emergency calls, etc.
When the emergency workers came and took over, I walked away as though I had never been there. As though God by His heavenly hand had just placed me there for my exact calling and gently lovingly led me away when my assignment was over.
This message is not about me, friend. It is about all of us. This world is filled with emergencies, trials, struggles, hardships, tragedies, traumas, tribulations, hurting people, broken people, injured, disabled, sick, dying, abandoned, abused, rejected, grieving, etc. people.
And if we would but open our hearts, and eyes, and look upward to the Lord Jesus Christ, and humble ourselves before Him, and seek God almighty to see what His role for us is in this world of people in need, and then in Jesus’ love go forth and fulfill the assignments God gives us.
Ever remembering not to take any credit and glory for ourselves but instead to give the Lord praise, honor, and glory for how He pours His love and mercy through us to reach a world in need.
Please be encouraged and inspired reading the well known powerful Bible story below:
Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”” Luke 10:30-37 NKJV