Almost a Good Samaritan. Why almost? Well, everything happened very fast. In the turn lane of a busy intersection sat a broken-down car. In it were a father and his two children. I rolled down my window and I asked if he needed help. The man nodded his head affirmatively. “I need a jump,” he said. At that very moment the light turned green and I had to make a quick decision. It was dark outside and if I stopped in the other turn lane right next to him I would block the intersection. Someone may run into my car and injure my baby and my wife who were in the car with me. So what did I do? I pushed the gas pedal and proceeded home. I felt guilty but nonetheless I kept going. The story of the Good Samaritan told by Jesus came to my mind like never before. I didn’t want to be like any of those men who walked by the man in need. Yet, my car was still headed in the opposite direction…
After we got home I told my wife that I needed to go back to check on that man. She understood and told me to go. The 10 minute drive felt like forever. I was hoping the man was still there so that I could help him. On the other hand that seemed selfish. Maybe someone stopped and helped him. With so many cars passing by every minute, surely someone saw the man in need and stopped to help.
As I approached the intersection my heart started beating. I wanted to be the Good Samaritan so much, yet I didn’t want the man and his children to still be there just because I wanted to feel good about myself. He wasn’t in the intersection. Disappointed I turned around to go back home. The light turned red and I had to wait few minutes. As I meditated about this situation, I turned my head and saw the car in question in the northwest corner of the intersection. I was so happy God had given me a second chance to help a man in need.