All, I hope you like this one. It was a neat experience. Superman and the Widows Mites. After watching a YouTube video this morning, I was reminded of a situation that occurred a couple of years ago which I was involved in. On a warm summer day, I was headed through town in heavy traffic. I noticed a stalled car in an intersection that was blocking one lane of traffic. Several cars were swerving by and some were blowing their horns. Most everyone would offer nothing but a head shake or a hateful jeer as they passed by. As I approached the intersection, I noticed the two occupants in the car were elderly women. It reminded me of the old Wheres the Beef hamburger commercial from the 70s. (YouTube may be helpful here) They both seemed a little confused as what to do next. I quickly made the decision to add to the roadblock by throwing my car into park and turning on my emergency flashers. In Superman fashion, my plan was to leap out and quickly push their car just a few feet onto a graveled wide spot on the shoulder of the road that seemed to have been placed there just for this occasion. As I placed my hands on the bumper of the car and my shoulder against the trunk, I involved every muscle in my body as I struggled to get the car rolling. After moving the car about two feet, I realized that I had hit a railroad track and a very modest incline. Although I used every fiber of strength in my 220 lb. frame, I could not make it over that small hump that had me dead in my tracks. It was in that instance that God would teach me a lesson that I will never forget. Just as I was about to give up hope and offer my last shove, I caught some movement from the corner of my eye. As I looked over, I saw a young girl that seemed to be about 18 years old and would probably weigh about 90 lbs. soaking wet. She had literally sprinted across the street from a local business to help. The girl was nicely dressed, had long brown hair and possessed the smile of an angel. Without saying a word, she placed her hands beside mine and pushed. To my amazement, the car began to move. In less than a minute, the car was off the road. The girl looked at me and smiled once again. I said thanks and she swiftly walked back to the store that she had emerged from. I would never see her again. The little old ladies rolled down their windows and offered their gratitude. They assured me that help was on the way so I jumped back into my car and drove off. It wasnt until a couple of miles down the road that I realized what God was trying to teach me. You see, in a matter of seconds, the struggles of the two little ladies had become my struggles. Instantly, their despair was turned into hope by a complete stranger. They were filled with anticipation as their car began to move again which was evident as the driver gripped the wheel to strategically steer the car into the parking space. To them I was Superman! My situation on the other hand had gone from a leisurely drive to a situation where I was struggling with every ounce of strength that I could muster. How quickly our situations can change. But the learning for me did not come in the struggle. My lesson would come when I had exhausted myself and realized that I could not go another inch. I had almost given up hope when help arrived in the from of a 90 pound cheerleader type that would not have otherwise looked my direction. There are enough life lessons in this one occurrence to make my head spin. From those that were too busy to help or even care, to me wanting to help but just not having the strength to succeed, everyone is somewhere in this story. But to me, the greatest learning was that for a moment, two unlikely strangers came to the aid of other strangers and changed their situation. For me personally, I was feeling a sense of failure as I could not make it over that last hump. My intentions were good but I just needed a little extra push. You see, the point here is not about Superman. It is about the widow and her two mites. Had that young lady decided not to run across the street and help, the despair of the situation would have just escalated as the traffic continued to back up. What if she has said I dont have anything to offer to this situation. If the big husky guy cant handle it, what makes me think I can help!!The truth is, she was the one that needed to make the effort successful. Each of us has something to offer. Seemingly insignificant, we can often make the difference between success and failure if we will just make the effort. Since my last article about The Slippery Slope which spoke of true despair, I have had many conversations with close friends about extreme struggles. So many people around us are in pain and are struggling with situations they cant fix? Many of them feel that no one cares. I can assure you that there are people with similar situations in your life too. Are you just driving by and shaking your head or are you running to the rescue? No matter where you are in life, be it Superman or the poor widow, you must find a way to care enough to help. Find a way to connect with someone or some situation that will move them from a place of despair to a sense of hope. Smile as you watch them grab the wheel and start to drive again with anticipation. You will also find that in the process, you will experience new meaning for your own life and a real sense of accomplishment. What a great reason to live! The widow became Superman!
Posted on: Thu, 24 Oct 2013 14:29:30 +0000