Heroes

Two HEROES , One MOMENT


So about half way through a regular Sunday AM Presentation at Capital, I get this call on my Guest Service Radio. I carry the radio on Sundays to be in the loop re: the Guest Services process.

The radio squelched. "Uh we got a lady down in the S-11 Bathroom... Please advice. Over"

I moved quickly through the crowd, thinking, if she is in the bathroom, how can I get to her? I radioed for my Guest Services Director, a female, to get to her...hopefully. She was hunkered down at the other end of the lobby, making sure the free distribution of The Gutter book was going to work...who knows, maybe she just wasn't available.

Anyway, I arrived at the bathroom and one of our female attenders emerged with this death look on her face. "Jas, there is a severely handicapped woman down in the stall yelling for help. I went to help her and her colostomy bag is hurting her. She needs someone to help her...." [Pause and look up colostomy bag]

I was frozen. I stood thinking. What in the world do I do? Because adjusting the bag had internal consequence and she had fallen, maybe hit her head, we called 911 immediately. But now comes the tough part. How can we comfort her?

I asked a few 50 something woman to help as they walked by and they assured me "they could not do anything..." They said they were not “experienced in this area? They were not equipped.

Frustrated at what I originally thought was a lack of compassion, I realized I do the same thing. At times, I am called just to help…do something, but I feel so unqualified. I was in the middle of a possible God moment.

This God moment was draped in irony. As a church, we were jazzed about passing out over 1000 copies of The Gutter. But at the same time, there is a lady who had fallen on the bathroom floor. It were as if God were saying, "a person will never be ready to love in the world if they can’t love, help, and serve the ones already here. We have a moment primed to do the miraculous.

I saw one of my friends walk by. Her name is Lisa. She has incredible heart to love people. She sings at CCC. Hesitant because the other 50 something year old women had flat out rejected me twice to help, I ask Lisa to help.

She did not even pause....she just said Sure, where? As she went in the bathroom, she helped. I was not in there. I have no idea what she did. She was just there.

Four minutes passed.

A former student passed by. Elise; She is miracle in her own right. I asked if she would help Lisa who was already in there. Her response... Sure, where?

No questions, no assessments, no clarifications, no explanations needed. They just gave a good ol' fashioned, all American, SURE.

The ambulance arrived and the fallen lady was loved. We heard she will be fine.

But here's what I walked away thinking.

Lisa missed the ministry assignment to sing, but actually excelled by loving the lady where she had fallen.

Elise? She had about four ministry assignments on any given week. I guarantee she missed one. Yet, in a second, without hesitation, sat in the restroom floor and loved the needy.

In a place that society would call the grossiest of environments, a bathroom floor, my two friends loved.

***

Who do you know that has fallen?
What is covering them that make them hard to embrace?
What environment did God send you up to love in?

***

It might be a moment where the hero in you may emerge.

Much Love

Jas