A woman sat at a street-side café sipping her mocha latte. Her eyes were buried in a novel. Just feet from her, there was a deep thud of metal hitting flesh accompanied by the screeching of tires. She jumped from her chair to see a man crumpled on the sidewalk, obviously one of downtown’s homeless, hit by a taxi. The man’s leg was bent out of shape and the pant-leg covering it was becoming red.
She ran to him. She felt guilty for noticing his tattered coat, the layers of dirt on his face, and the thick stench of body odor. She told a by-stander to call 9-1-1.
“Will you allow me to help you?” she asked him.
He scowled and began to crawl away from her, but then whimpered in pain, stopped, and started trembling.
She moved over to him and said, “My father is the finest physician in town. He has the skills and the means to help you. Let me ask him.”
The man resisted. Harsh realities had taught him that most people can’t help or don’t care. Those that appear to care only want something for themselves. “No,” he frowned.
He looked down at his leg and became pale. A cold sweat seeped from his face. He looked up to the woman. The severity of his situation overwhelmed his doubts about her. “Okay,” he said. “Call your father.”
The ambulance arrived, and she rode with him to the emergency room. She spent most of the time on her phone making arrangements with her father and those in his charge. The hospital was expecting the man when he arrived.
After surgery, the woman visited the man in his recovery room. He looked around and then his eyes fell.
“What’s wrong,” she said. “You’re going to be okay.”
“I know. I also know how expensive all of this is. I want to pay, but I have nothing.”
“It’s all taken care of,” she said. “You owe nothing.”
A tear rolled from his eye. “I don’t know what to say. You’ve done so much.”
“I really didn’t do that much. All I did was ask my father,” she said.
“Yes,” he replied. “But that’s the most anyone has ever done for me. It’s the most precious thing.”
This story illustrates an important truth. Christians have a heavenly Father with all the wealth and wisdom in the world (and beyond this world!). He can soothe every pain, cure every illness, and feed every hungry mouth. And He has invited those who believe in Him to ask for all things.
If they ask, will He give? He often does. Sometimes, in His infinite wisdom, He says no. It’s all in His loving hands. So they ask their father in faith that He will give out of His bounteous love and wisdom. If a Christian, then, offers in a spirit of genuine love and concern to pray for you, receive that gift with deep appreciation. It is the most precious thing he or she can give.
She ran to him. She felt guilty for noticing his tattered coat, the layers of dirt on his face, and the thick stench of body odor. She told a by-stander to call 9-1-1.
“Will you allow me to help you?” she asked him.
He scowled and began to crawl away from her, but then whimpered in pain, stopped, and started trembling.
She moved over to him and said, “My father is the finest physician in town. He has the skills and the means to help you. Let me ask him.”
The man resisted. Harsh realities had taught him that most people can’t help or don’t care. Those that appear to care only want something for themselves. “No,” he frowned.
He looked down at his leg and became pale. A cold sweat seeped from his face. He looked up to the woman. The severity of his situation overwhelmed his doubts about her. “Okay,” he said. “Call your father.”
The ambulance arrived, and she rode with him to the emergency room. She spent most of the time on her phone making arrangements with her father and those in his charge. The hospital was expecting the man when he arrived.
After surgery, the woman visited the man in his recovery room. He looked around and then his eyes fell.
“What’s wrong,” she said. “You’re going to be okay.”
“I know. I also know how expensive all of this is. I want to pay, but I have nothing.”
“It’s all taken care of,” she said. “You owe nothing.”
A tear rolled from his eye. “I don’t know what to say. You’ve done so much.”
“I really didn’t do that much. All I did was ask my father,” she said.
“Yes,” he replied. “But that’s the most anyone has ever done for me. It’s the most precious thing.”
This story illustrates an important truth. Christians have a heavenly Father with all the wealth and wisdom in the world (and beyond this world!). He can soothe every pain, cure every illness, and feed every hungry mouth. And He has invited those who believe in Him to ask for all things.
If they ask, will He give? He often does. Sometimes, in His infinite wisdom, He says no. It’s all in His loving hands. So they ask their father in faith that He will give out of His bounteous love and wisdom. If a Christian, then, offers in a spirit of genuine love and concern to pray for you, receive that gift with deep appreciation. It is the most precious thing he or she can give.