The Random Acts Project: Back again...

Jesus teaches about salt and light

How it all started

It was a cold December morning in Chicago. Air temperature 18 degrees. Wind chill zero degrees. I was travelling North on IL 53 just South of Palatine Rd. It was 9:30am.

I was in the left lane as I made the slow curve around Arlington Race Course when I saw a car pulled off on the right shoulder, hazard lights flashing, the left rear tire was flat. As I blew past I noticed exhaust from the tailpipe - the engine was running - and the silhouette of a woman in the drivers seat. There was no way that I could get over three lanes to stop and help, so I continued on.

This is nothing new - it happens every day. I see people broken down everywhere I go. I tried to make myself feel better by reasoning that she has already called someone, and that help is surely on its way. But the Spirit wouldn't let me go, not this time. The weight on my heart was too much to ignore.

I had heard a message not too long before this, and in the message was a quote from Dr. Edward Everett Hale which said,

"I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything; but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do."

I am an industrial equipment mechanic by trade. Although I don't do a lot of automotive repairs, I am fully capable of changing a flat tire. I can do this. So, why am I refusing, in my mind, to help this person in need? I decided in that moment to change my course and do the one thing that I can do.

I managed to get over and take the next off-ramp. I took a few back roads and made my way back to the highway. It was 15 minutes before I saw the car again, hazards still flashing. I pulled in behind the car, threw on my insulated cover-alls, and approached the driver.

I startled her when I knocked on her window. She wasn't expecting anyone. She was talking to her mother on her cell phone, and she was crying.

She had been sitting there for two-and-a-half hours, and no one had stopped. She had called for roadside assistance and was promised a tow truck by 12:00 noon - another two hours from now.

It was wicked cold outside, so I told her to stay in the car while I put on her spare. I don't think that I ever changed a tire as fast as I did that day.

She was ready to go in no time. She thanked me and then handed me her phone. Her mom was still on the line. Her mom couldn't believe that there was still someone in the world that would stop and help, purely as a random act of kindness. I told her that I had to stop, because I could.

Jesus said that we are to be the salt of the earth, and the light of the world. Salt brings out the best flavor in everything that it touches, and at the same time, acts as a preservative to keep things from spoiling. Light takes away the darkness. We turn on a light so that we can see. And, in the same way, these random acts of kindness should shine out for all to see, so that everyone will give praise to our Heavenly Father.

How many people drove past that young woman? Three lanes of highway traveling at 55 miles an hour for two-and-a-half hours - it was tens of thousands. How many were Christians? How many, just like me, convinced themselves that there wasn't anything that they could do, or that help was on its way? I'm not saying that there is something that we can do in every situation, but if we can do something, than we should do something.

Since this incident back in December 2009, I have made it a point to be more aware of my surroundings, of people in need, of lives that I can touch and give glory to our Heavenly Father.
My challenge to you is to do the same. As Dr. Hale said, I can't do everything, but I can do something. And, I will not refuse to do something that I can do." So, find something that you can do and do it. It may be just a smile and a hello, or an offer to help carry a package. We are so pre-programmed to ignore and avoid getting involved that just simply acknowledging a person is all that they are looking for. Whatever it may be, just one simple act of kindness, might be the first of a thousand steps that will lead a person to Christ. Let Christ's light shine through your action and see what happens from there. And just as easily as it may be the first step, it might also be the last... and, a soul is saved.

If you do touch a life in some way, please let me know.

Friday, August 10, 2012

Back again...

I decided to restart the blog that I had set aside... I can't believe it has been two-and-a-half years now. Though I haven't written in a while, I have still continued to help those in need, in any way that I can.

The purpose of the blog is to encourage and challenge all of you to step out of your comfort zone and do something for another person. We are so conditioned to mind our own business and avoid any kind of involvement, that people in need are often ignored.

What is it that makes us look the other way and ignore a person in need? The most popular answer that I've received is that the person in need wouldn't accept our help anyway, thus creating an awkward situation. It would be embarrassing - both for the person in need as well as the person offering help.

Sometimes, we feel like there is nothing that we can do. We're not mechanics, or rescue professionals, or policemen. What help can we possibly be?

But, it's not about all of that. One thing that I have discovered in the past few years of consciously being aware of other people in need, is that most of the time, you don't need to do anything - you just need to be there.

Years ago, I came across a woman and her daughter that were broken down on a stretch of road that wasn't very well traveled. They had called AAA, and were promised a tow truck within the hour. There wasn't anything that I could do for the vehicle, but still, I was concerned about the two of them being stranded alone. It was late afternoon and the sun was starting to set. It didn't seem right for me to just drive away, leaving them behind.

I asked if they would like me to stay with them until the tow truck arrived. Putting myself in their position, I was the proverbial "creepy guy" that comes along when you break down on a deserted road. They had no idea who I was, and I'm sure they felt very uncomfortable. Talk about an awkward moment.

The woman didn't know what to say. Later, she told me that she didn't want to be out there alone, and was happy that I suggested that I stay, but in my own vehicle, until the tow truck arrives.

When I first arrived, I had told her that I was a mechanic. When the tow truck was ready to leave, she handed me her husband's business card. Her husband owned a machine shop. On the back, she had written, "This is the guy that stopped to help Nan and me." She said that if I ever needed any machine work, I should call him. Her husband and I became good friends.

It was terribly awkward. She rejected my offer to help. But still, I did what I thought was the right thing to do. It wasn't a big deal. All I did was sit there for about forty-five minutes. If it was my wife and daughter, I would hope a guy like me would come along.

Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and offer some help. It might be awkward, and you might be rejected. But then, you might just have the chance to show Christ's love through a simple, random act of kindness.