What would you do?

What would you do if you were in the grocery store and you saw somebody in one of those motorized wheelchair things and it was not working properly? Would you:
                     a.) Point and laugh
                     b.) Look the other way and keep shopping
                     c.) Get an attitude and roll your eyes and sigh because she is
                          blocking the lane
                     d.) Look to somebody else, as if to say “you should help her”
                     e.) Approach her and ask if she needs assistance

My next question is, would your expectations as to the ‘right’ answer be any different if you observed this happen around people who were in uniform? Military, Police, Fire & Rescue?

I think I am guilty of believing that every person in the military, police force or fire and rescue squad would help somebody in need, no matter where they were or what they were doing. I guess I had created that generalization in my head because they seem like the good guys and should be good guys all the way around - defending our country or helping an old lady in the grocery store; tackling crime or helping an old lady in the grocery store; rescuing people from burning buildings or helping an old lady in the grocery store.

Now I will say I think every human should help another when they see there is a need, but that is unrealistic. At the very least I would think these ‘role models’ would.

You never know what somebody is dealing with. You never know how much somebody else is struggling. You never know until you offer to help.

I was standing in the grocery store watching these men in uniform sigh and roll their eyes and go around her instead of help her. Let me just paint a mental picture for you real quick – I was pushing one cart, Seth was standing in the back of the cart and wanted my arm around him, and I was also pulling another cart…periodically stopping as my grandma would say, “I need that , can you put it in the cart?” That is where I was when I noticed what was happening. I picked Seth up and approached her and asked her if I could help her. She said the motorized wheel chair was acting up and not working properly. I looked at it and noticed it had a dead battery. I told her I would be right back and went to get her another one. This was no simple task. I, thank God, have never had to use one of those motorized wheel chair things, I know you have to push the green button, and then move the handles forward and I thought that was all their was to it. Wrong. You have to be sitting in the chair in order for the thing to work. After getting all these people to try and figure out to make it work, I finally figured it out. So off we went, Seth and I to deliver a new powered buggy for this older lady who had to be feeling pretty bad.

We caught up with her, I helped her get moved and then proceeded to move all her groceries into the new powered buggy. She kept saying thank you and God Bless you. It was truly an amazing feeling to know that I helped her, but also a sad feeling because I witnessed all those people who didn’t help. As I put the last box of pasta in her cart she told she was having a really bad day, she had no help and it had been a rough day, she went on to say that she has cancer and feels so handicapped. Wow. Talk about a humbling experience. Feeling exasperated by carrying Seth and trying to get those crazy carts to work and here this lady was battling cancer…fighting for her very life.

I was moved by the experience. I told her we would pray for her when she told me that – I was truly speechless…but then I forgot to ask her what her name was.

So for all of you reading this, join me in prayer for “the lady from the grocery store who was having a bad day and fighting cancer.” I am sure God knows her name and will direct the prayers accordingly.

Is there anybody in your life that is in need? My challenge to you is to make a difference. You have one life. Do something. Don’t wait around for somebody else to make a change, be bold and take the first step.