It began as our usual family errands day. We were on our way home from grocery shopping. We had picked up a pizza and were just finishing it in the car when we turned that corner.
Half way around the bend we heard the commotion, by the time we made it all the way around we saw her.
A young girl lying in the middle of the busy intersection with her motorcycle on top of her. Traffic stopped. But not to help. Instead people took out their phones and snapped some pictures, and then drove off.
We pulled our car over to block her from oncoming traffic. Corey hurried to her and was assisted by two other men (who owned road-side shops nearby) in helping her up.
The girls and I stayed in the car and watched. Prayed.
With Corey's help, she hobbled to the side of the road gripping her elbow, then her knee, and then her stomach. She was clearly in much pain.
A man picked up her side-view mirror from the street and set it beside her.
Through my window, I could see Corey kneeling down talking to her and her shaking her head "no," while the other men, nodding their heads "yes" persuasively. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I knew what was being said.
Corey walked over to the car and asked me to drive her home and he would follow on her broken motorcycle.
"Of course." as I climb over to the driver's seat.
She slowly hobbled over and climbed into the car. Her body visibly shaking. She is young and scared and in shock.
We begin to drive towards her home. We pull up to the entrance of her street, but she tells me to stop. She says she will have to walk from here because the car won't fit on her dirt path.
We ask if we can take her to the hospital instead, because she is clearly suffering in pain. She tells us no, because she hasn't any money to pay for it. We assure her that we are here to help. After much debate, she eventually concedes.
On to the hospital we go. I begin to ask her more about herself. She is 18, and has 3 younger siblings. She just started working a week ago at the new "mall" in town to help take care of her family. She is scared now that she will miss work and in turn be fired.
We pull up to the hospital and park (no emergency drop-off area). I put my arm around her and assist her to the waiting room. She moans. Once the hospital staff see her they immediately take her back. Catelyn and I follow.
"Would you like me to stay with you? Or do you want me to wait outside?" I ask shyly.
"Please stay with me." she weakly replies.
The nurse does her initial exam of her body, then turns to me.
"Did you witness the accident?" she asks me in my second language.
"No. I only saw her lying in the street. I didn't see what happened before that." I explain.
"Do you know her?"
"No."
"You mean, you just saw her and picked her up and brought her here?"
"Yes."
"Wow. I do hope that more people here would do as you do. Thank you for caring so well for our people." she says with truly sincere eyes that begin to tear up.
She continues her exam on her patient.
After many minutes, the nurse turns to me again and informs us that the young girl is calling her parents to come to be with her. However, only minutes later we hear back that they are not coming. They are at work and cannot leave.
The nurse proceeds to tell us again that we have been kind and we are free to go. We are not responsible for her care, and should not feel obligated to stay around.
We ask to stay, if the patient would like us to.
The young girl eventually gets discharged with nothing seriously wrong. But she is badly bruised and will be sore for quite a long time.
We take care of her hospital charges and Corey goes to the pharmacy (not in the hospital) to fill her prescriptions. She and I talk some more. We exchange phone numbers.
As we drive her home, she continues to thank us for helping her, a stranger. I tell her that we are loving her as we love ourselves. She asks if she can come visit me sometime.
"Of course. I would like that." I smile.
We drop her off at her house, and we say our goodbyes.
Later that night, during our family reading, we chose to read through Luke 10:30-37. We talked about the Good Samaritan. We discussed the opportunity that God had placed before us earlier that day. Catelyn's eyes widened. She made the connection. Jesus commands us in that passage, "Go and do the same."
"We did!" she cries out, "we were the good Samaritans!"
What a joy it is to obey His commands! "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome." 1 John 5:3
Yes, my newly-purchased butter had melted in my car that day...but it was not burdensome.
O Lord, thank You for the joy of being able to share with another the same love that You have given to me. For I, too, am that young girl who was lying broken in the street and in need of mercy...and You came for me. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.
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