HELPING HANDS

By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.

© God’s Breath Publications      

Some years ago I remember that I was driving to the Bible study fellowship meeting that I was overseeing and I stopped at a Red Light. As I waited for the light to change, I noticed a damsel in distress. Up ahead i saw a middle-aged lady in jeans attempting to push a large pickup truck that had stalled. The problem with her predicament was that she was attempting to push the truck up a small incline. Her truck was a rather large one and there was also a big canopy covering the bed of the truck that added to its weight. Needless to say, she wasn’t making much headway. 

 

The Red Light changed to green and I decided to pull over so I could get out and hopefully help this damsel in distress. I pulled over to the shoulder of the road, jumped out of my truck and ran over to the ladies’ truck, threw my weight into the back of the truck and began pushing. I didn’t tell the woman that I was there at first, and this gave me a rather unique opportunity to observe the woman’s response. I noticed as I hit the truck with my efforts, it began moving up the incline, the woman’s face changed from desperation to one of surprise. She had up to then, been fighting an uphill battle, literally. She had probably felt that she would never get the huge truck onto the road and up the incline, but had chosen to attempt it anyway. Now for some unknown reason, she discovered that the truck seemed to be moving by itself. After several feet of forward movement, I chose to reveal myself and shouted, “How far do you want to go?” The lady saw me and her facial expression of surprise and triumph transformed into a smile of gratitude as she shouted back, “Just over to the other side of the road!” She had now been given the answer as to why the truck had seemed to help itself up the hill. There had been an intervention of an outside force. 

 

The lady and I managed to move the truck up and over the incline and to the side of the road. She got in the truck and with the hill now in her favor I was able to help push-start the car. As the truck belched black smoke and made several popping sounds, the engine started. I ran back to my truck as the woman sat in the cab of her truck, relived that her ordeal was over. As I passed by her, she smiled, waved and mouthed, “Thank you!,”…through her closed window.  

 

As I thought about how I had been given this opportunity and privilege to become a Good Samaritan, I also thought of my own life as I have faced struggles. How often have I attempted the impossible, the difficult, the challenging only to have God and others intervene to make the burden easier? How often had I been surprised when a hardship had been overcome through the help of friends and sometimes strangers?

 

Scripture speaks of this when it says in Galatians 6:2, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” We have all heard the saying that, “We may be the only Jesus people ever see.” We need to rise to this holy calling, the calling of servant-hood to our fellowman. Jesus can use you and me to minister to others in His name. Sometimes this may mean providing physical help and at other times spiritual counsel. We must remember the book of James in the New Testament where it speaks of, not just providing spiritual help, but also to recognize the physical needs of those around us. Supplying physical help, will often open doors to the hardened hearts of rebellious sinners.

 

Our local area in Shasta County has faced many tragedies over the last few years, with the loss of over homes and loved ones due to forest and grass fires. What an opportunity for us as individuals, and a local church Body, to reach out and minister to people in need. In many instances of devastating fires, people have lost all they own, heirlooms, photographs, diaries, and prized personal possessions. The burden of facing this loss plus the financial hardship, takes its toll on the human soul. Acts of kindness at this time can go a long way in living out the gospel and demonstrating what Christian love is all about. But there are more tragedies that people face we often have no knowledge of…such as the loss of a job, the death of a loved one, the breakup of a marriage and many other difficult trials and tribulations. As Disciples of Christ, we need to cultivate and improve on our sensitivity to the needs of others and be ever ready to offer help and assistance to those who are suffering and dealing with the harsh realities of life. Our modern society often fosters an attitude of self-preservation rather than seeking to help others in times of need. American has a great tradition of people helping those in need, be it material, physical, emotional or spiritual needs. If we, as Disciples of Christ, seek to really fulfill our calling of being spiritual lights in the dark world we live in, we must be ever-ready to be used by God to minister to others in a variety of ways. We must encourage our hearts to grow larger so we can love more often and consistently. We must seek to live out what we read in the Bible,  what we hear in Biblical sermons and what we are convicted by the Spirit to reach out to those in need or who are suffering. The mark of a true Disciple of Christ is someone who seeks to sensitive to ministry opportunities so that through us – the Father, Son and Spirit can work in the lives of those around us.

 

I heard a story once of a mother who was putting her little girl to bed. The little girl told her mother, “I’m afraid of the dark.” Her mother replied, “There’s nothing to be afraid of, Jesus is right here with you.” The mother prayed with the little girl and left the room. A little while later the mother heard her daughter crying in the dark. She went to the bedroom door and said, “What’s wrong honey?” The little girl said, “I’m still scared, can you stay with me?” The mother said, “You don’t need me, Jesus is here.” The little girl replied, “But you have skin on.” The mother decided to stay with her daughter until she was asleep.

 

Believe it or not, we can be… “Jesus with skin on too!”