Leaving Antigua, Guatemala this morning, I had a quick but interesting experience. The driver had just picked me up and we were moving through the town on the cobblestone streets. All of a sudden, I saw something in the middle of the road. At first, I thought it was a dog but as we came closer, it realized it was a man. He was screaming something I could not make out. The driver drove on by and we each looked at each other with a surprised look. We continued and I didn’t give it another thought. Sitting on the airplane...I started to think about that man. What was wrong with him? Was he beat up? Was he one of the beggers I had regularly seen who was missing a limb? Was he drunk and he woke up just as the car was nearing him? Was he really in trouble? And then...my questions got more personal...Why didn’t I stop? Or why didn't I suggest to the driver that we stop? Or why didn’t we call he police if we were afraid that it was a trap? I started to feel guilty. Then even worse...I remembered the Story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). I have always looked down at the two that passed by without helping. How aweful of them to pass by this man who is in need. Now I find that I am one of those men.
I sit convicted. I am guilty.
Our family is moving back to a place where we see needs every day. There are many challenges. Physical things that could be prevented. Emotionally it is painful to see so many people in need. Of course, we want to help and we do help. But knowing how to help....to help in a way that REALLY helps....is something we continually work through. Each situation is different. And we have the best thing we can do is to bring these needs to God, asking God to give us His wisdom for the situation. Every thing we do, we need to bring it to God and let it sift through His fingers of love.* I know if take seriously the idea that God will guide us, He will. And He will lead us in this area as well.
I invite you to pray for us in this area. Pray that our first response to each situation would be to speak with God. First...not last response.
*I want to thank God for dear sister, Tammy Orth, for teaching me this. Tammy is now with the Lord but she had brain cancer and she talked when people asked her how she dealt with it, often she would talk about how everything that has been sent her way, has had to make its way through the fingers of God. And she was tell you "those fingers are fingers of LOVE. We were blessed to know Tammy. God used her to teach us much.
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