Joy at a McDonald’s (A Good Samaritan Opportunity…)
You never know when a Good Samaritan opportunity is going to surface…
I pulled into the McDonald’s parking lot just a few blocks from my home a couple of days ago. I was there at about 8 AM to pick up Butch, my work buddy.
A Good Samaritan Opportunity
As I passed in front of the restaurant and pulled into one of the parking lot stalls on the side, I happened to glance over at the side view mirror on my truck. That’s where I saw her–a young, very much overweight lady, lying on the sidewalk calling out for help. I shut off the truck and got out.
No one had beaten her up, robbed her, and stripped her of her raiment, as the parable of the Good Samaritan discusses (see Luke 10:30-37.) She had simply slipped on the curb.
Her left ankle was sprained. She was on her way to a job interview just a couple of blocks away. But as of right now, she couldn’t even get up.
Her phone was five feet from her in the parking lot. Her purse was three feet from her in the opposite direction. She wasn’t crying, but she was close to it.
I asked Butch to help me get her up. She thought her ankle was broken but apparently it wasn’t. That was a relief.
Butch steadied her as I went inside and filled a plastic bag from my truck with ice from their drink machine. I took it back out and gave it to her.
Another guy in the restaurant had been outside when this happened. He ordered his breakfast then asked how the lady was doing. I told him she was okay but she needed a ride a few blocks away to make her job interview. My truck was full of stuff so getting a ride with me wouldn’t work.
This nice gentleman came outside and we helped the woman get into his truck. That was a challenge, not only from her weight perspective, but also from her ankle perspective. She had to lift that ankle up into the truck in order to get in and that was painful. Once inside the truck, she was off to her interview.
I gave her one of my church cards–the one I used for public relations work–because it had my phone number and email on it. I told her to contact me if there was anything else I could do for her.
Give People the Right Thing!
Note that I didn’t give her an Articles of Faith card. That’s not what she needed. Those cards don’t have my phone number on them and the Church wasn’t the issue here; her job interview and her health was the issue.
You help the Savior take care of His sheep when you provide them with what they need. It’s always all about them; not about your agenda. I’m listing this story here to illustrate the point that “…when you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.” (Matt. 25:40)
accident, assistance, Good Samaritan, help, kindness, love, love thy neighbor, McDonald's, priority
