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Going Out of Our Way: A Good Samaritan Experience
Posted by Wallace+
It's with pleasure that I share the following message from parishioner Richard Lewis. Richard writes in response to Sunday's sermon:
Wallace, I promised you my "man by the side of the road" story, and here it is.
Back in the early 90s, my family and I were traveling by car from New Orleans to our home in Virginia. Somewhere between Laurel and Meridien, Mississippi, our van ran out of gas due to my insane desire to get the tank as close to empty as I could before refilling. We were squarely between two exits, about five miles from each. My kids were about eight and six at the time and we also had with us our beloved German exchange student, Francisca. I was bemoaning our plight when Francisca assured me that someone would stop to help us. I assured her that she was wrong and I got out of the van and started trudging dejectedly toward the upcoming exit.
I had not gone more than 100 yards when a pickup truck pulled over to help me. This turned out to be a family from Texas -- a couple and two young children -- who were driving to Alabama in hopes of finding work there. These folks weren't destitute, at least not to my observation, but when one is driving from one state to another looking for work, one is certainly in tight financial circumstances. The two kids were in the jump seat so I hopped up into the passenger seat with the couple.
They drove me ahead to the next exit and we went inside a convenience store because I had no gas can and neither did they. Of course the store did not sell gas cans -- BUT, one of the locals, sensing my plight, told me he had one in his truck that he'd be glad to lend me. So I filled up the can and then assured my friends from Texas that I could hitch hike back to my car. They would not hear of it and drove me ten miles back to the previous exit, turned around and drove me to my car. They waited until they were certain the car would start, and it did.
I tried to pay them for their troubles and, in typical fashion, they refused to take any money. The man then looked at me and said, "Tell you what. Next time you see someone broken down by the side of the road, just promise me that you'll stop and help them."
I nearly choked up. What fine people and the short amount of time I spent with them told me that this was a good family. The fabric of America. As they drove away all I could do was look at them in awe. What a lesson!
I don't know how many times I have broken the promise I made to them, but when I have stopped to help someone in trouble I've repeated their charge to me - paying it forward, in a sense. Even when I have not stopped to help, when I see a car broken down I have never ceased to offer a prayer for that good, good family in the nearly 20 years since that incident occurred. Wherever they are today I trust that their lives have been richly blessed through the years.
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