Every week or so I take a trip to the store to get my food for the upcoming week. Most times nothing major happens. However on one recent trip I was out at a store and I witnessed something that was truly scary and has lingered with me for a bit now.
When we arrived to the store we saw the local paramedics working on a fellow who was laying on the ground. They were in a desperate effort to try and save his life. All the while the man’s wife and other bystanders were watching things unfold with a real level of fear reflected in their eyes. Along with this level of uncerenty of this man surviving his current ordeal.
In my life I have never seen such a sight in person. For the short amount of time I was present it shook me rather deeply. It’s one thing to see something play out on TV or even in dramas. Something else all together to see it first hand. Total and complete helplessness came over me as I watched this unfold. Even as I realized the severity of things playing out. Their really wasn’t much I could do as a bystander myself. Leaving the task at hand to those trained for this kind of emergency.
I turned to the one thing that I could do. In fact in many events in our lives it is something that all Christians should do. Offering up a prayer for things at hand. Prayer for the medics who were doing their job. Prayers for calmness of the man’s family. Prayers for wisdom for all involved. Along with prayers for peace should this man’s earthly journey be at an end.
Why take the time to do that? Because it should be our nature as Christians to do that. It should be almost automatic to ask for God’s help in this kind of event. Doesn’t matter who the person is or the kind of life they may or may not have lived. In this moment of time our heart should turn to Christ as we seek His help.
In this kind of crisis that I was seeing. The length of the prayer wasn’t so much important. It was to offer up what little I could do to help. Because I truly do believe in what prayer can do. For me it is taking direct action. It also gives me a small measure of comfort that I could do something. I wanted to make sure that no matter who else was present and seeing things unfold that I was offering up prayers. Even if I was the only one taking the time to do so. It was the least I could for the man in crisis.
As I spent the rest of the day playing things out in my mind. I was reminded of the fact that at many times we will face some kind of crisis. Prayer becomes important part of navigating that situation. Not just for ourselves but for others we may run across in this life. You spend enough time hearing the sirens of the first responders or listen to police scanners you realize the need for prayer is greater than ourselves. Even if we are the only ones who know what is going in and offering prayers no one else will know about.
I found out a few days later that the man did not survive. Heartbreaking for the family to have this happen. I take a small measure peace in knowing that I could at least keep things in prayer. Knowing full well that their was a real possibility that I was the only one.
As I reflect on what I saw it is a much needed reminder of how important prayer is to me. Not just for my own needs and desires. But for the intentions of others who I may cross paths with. Events like this offer up much needed lessons. Despite the tragic nature of things. I am thankful for what I’ve learned. -
留言