As we left the conference on the first night, headed back to our hotel, it was comforting to me that we were walking with a whole group of ladies. Not ladies that we knew personally, but ladies who were leaving the conference all at the same time, headed in the same direction, which was towards our hotel. Several blocks from our hotel, we noticed that two elderly ladies had stepped out of the crowd. One of the ladies was bending over just a bit, like she was having a hard time breathing.
'Becca, look at the lady, do you think she is ok?'
Even as I said this, we had both slowed down just a bit to assess what was going on. We walked over to where the two were standing and asked her if everything was ok. The one slightly bent over said that she was fine, just out of breath and needed to stop walking for a bit, catch her breath, and then walk slower than what she had been.
We asked her if she wanted a cab and she said no.
In that moment, Becca and I realized that we could not leave the two ladies alone.
Truthfully, I didn't really want to stay back- I was nervous that it would leave us alone, on the streets of San Fransisco, in an unsafe environment (it was the back of Union Square after 10 at night and the stores were mostly closed). I also, selfishly, wanted to tune out the needs of anyone else and only focus on myself- It was a weekend away to just enjoy and recharge.
I didn't want to stay, I wanted to just walk on by and pretend like I hadn't noticed someone else need, but, I didn't have the heart to leave......
What do we do in life, when we are faced with a situation that we don't have the courage to face (or maybe don't want to face), but we don't have the heart to leave. When we know God has called us to exactly where we are at, to do the very thing that scares us, or, interrupts our life in a way that is irritating. When we have a chance to serve Him in a way that we really don't want to. When we have a chance to give in a way that makes us feel intimidated and overwhelmed or annoyed.
'We will walk you to your hotel' is what Becca and I told her
The four of us walked together, slowly, while the rest of the ladies passed.
The street was empty, except for homeless sleeping on the street and thug looking individuals, by the time we had walked with she and her friend to their destination.
I prayed for God's protection over Becca and I as we made our way back to our hotel. The vulnerable feeling was real, but the comfort of knowing that we had done just what God had wanted us to somehow settled peacefully in my heart.
The answer is clear, what we should do when we are facing a situation that we don't have the courage to face, or maybe we don't want to face.......
Don't have the heart to leave.
Pray for the courage to stay and love
love how you know Jesus would have us love
love as you would want to be loved if you were in the same situation
and then thank our Heavenly Father for the love He has given us.
Luke 10:25-37New International Version (NIV)
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”
28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
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