Christian Living

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Roughly 10 years ago, I saw something in my home county that made me stop and count my blessings, because "There, but for the grace of God, went I."

I had gone to the county seat to run some errands, and as I headed toward downtown on North Main Street, I saw a family parked on the side of the road in a older model car with signs leaning on each side that read, "Will Work for Food."

Inside the car was a man and a woman, who looked to be in their late twenties or early thirties, and at least one, small blonde-headed child in the back seat.

I passed the family and went about my business. In the process of running my errands, I passed the family about three times. As I headed home, I couldn't shake them from my mind. I had wanted to stop and offer assistance, but with the world the way it was then, and remains today, I was simply afraid.

Finally, I gave in to their haunting images and turned around. When I got back to where they were parked, the family was gone.

I had allowed my fear to keep me from extending a helping hand.

I was ashamed of my actions, and I recalled my grandmother telling me how people helped one another during the Great Depression. She spoke of people sharing food, clothes, and a place to sleep, regardless of whether the person was a friend or a stranger. Often, these acts of assistance occurred when the family giving the help had little themselves.

I've often wondered why things are so different now. Why do persons, more often than not, turn away or ignore those in need instead of extending an outstretched hand?

I think part of the answer is in the fact that during the Great Depression, virtually everyone was in need. Selfishness was a luxury no one could really afford.

Another part of the answer is that the media is capable of flashing images of beatings, brutality, and murders around the world within minutes of their actual occurrences. This has made us a fearful society in many respects.

And perhaps another reason is that persons such as this family remind us, all too painfully at times, that we too are vulnerable, and we don't like to be reminded of that fact.

To this day, I am ashamed that I neglected to offer a hand of human kindness to someone in need. I just hope someone else had the courage I lacked to help this family.

Throughout the years, the memory of this family and my own reaction have haunted me, as have the words of Matthew 25:34-40(NIV):


"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'"


However, because of these memories and this scripture, I have learned a powerful lesson – more powerful than from any sermon I've ever heard preached from a pulpit about helping those in need.

The lesson was that a stranger in need represents the Lord I serve, and I made a promise a few years ago that if there ever were a next time, I'd remember this lesson.

For me, there came a next time, involving a single mother with two small children under the age of 3, one sick with no coat, on a bitterly cold winter night right after Christmas a couple of years ago.

How I helped doesn't matter. All that does matter is that I remembered and "did for the one of the least of these brothers (or sisters) of mine."

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