It’s Hard to Be Humble
Read: Luke 10:25-37
I watched my boot as it went above my head, seemingly bent the wrong way.
“Uh oh,” I said, “this could be bad.”
It was, indeed, bad.
Billie ran back to where I was now sitting on the icy sidewalk, jumping around like the totally mental dog she is, probably trying to help or something; but I’m not good at accepting help.
(Un?)fortunately, I was not going to have much choice about accepting help this time.
It was an icy Sunday afternoon, and Billie wanted to turn up Cadieux Road – a way we probably have never gone on our walks before. I shrugged, acquiesced, trudged, slipped, and fell. There, now we’ve caught up to where I started.
A big black SUV stopped across the street, heading toward Mack. The driver rolled down his window and asked if I were OK. “I will be,” was my foolish response.
I didn’t get up.
The SUV emptied and four people headed across the street to help, whether I had accepted or not. Realizing that there was no way I was going to get up on my own, and I certainly wasn’t going to be able to walk that long block home (we had just started our walk!), I once again acquiesced – this time letting two of these kind souls help me to my foot. That’s right, I was limited to foot rather than feet.
Imagine the surprise and relief as we all realized that these strangers who stopped to help me weren’t actually strangers, but rather the Roberts family. We have been camping together several times – you know, that weekend after Labour Day when the choir is empty and lots of folks you normally see in church aren’t there – but we hadn’t seen each other since I stopped wearing glasses. Add in a fairly goofy blaze orange toque with a built-in headlight and I can’t imagine I looked very familiar to them. For my part, I was paying more attention to keeping my foot off the ground than looking at the faces of the bundled-up folks who were helping me do so. Fortunately, Sara had realized who I was and we were all a bit more comfortable with the situation. So, Sara and one son took Billie and walked her home while Tom and the other son got me in the car and drove me around the block and home. Heidi was a bit surprised when Billie and I turned up so quickly after leaving, and with such an escort.
Well, to make a long story short (I know, it’s too late for that), I felt an awful lot like the poor fellow who was robbed and beaten and left until that Samaritan didn’t pass by, but rather stopped and helped. What a blessing to have friends who really acted as neighbors to me. I pray that I will be like Sara and Tom the next time I see someone who needs help (and all the times after that.)
I don’t like to need help; I find it hard to accept help; but I know it’s good to be humble and accept it; and it’s also good to offer help, even if I’m not sure what help I can give.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for people – Your people – who really do help their neighbors. Help me to be one of them.
In the compassionate Name of Jesus, Amen.
Charlie van Becelaere
Thought for the day: Isn’t it ironic that ice is the cause of the injury and also the best treatment?
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