4Runner meets Honda

Hello once again from the great state of Texas. Have you ever heard the song "Empty Me" by Chris Sligh? Excellent song with great lyrics. I had the pleasure of helping someone out today, and this song came to mind afterwards.

I was running by my hospital to pick up a pizza I had left at work last night, parked my 4Runner outside the "EC" (Emergency Center as fondly called by LBJ), turned my hazard lights on, and was back outside within a matter of 60 seconds, not wanting to tick anyone off that I'd left my car in the ambulance bay. As I was approaching my car, I saw a well-dressed, 40ish black woman peering in the window of my car, and upon seeing me coming up, she asked me if that was my car. I answered "yes," and being me, became suspicious of her question and reasoning of it. Although she was well dressed and polite, LBJ Hospital is not in a safe place of town, so my antenna are always up. She then proceeded to ask if I could help her jump-start her car as she had been with a patient in the EC all day and was now trying to go home. I agreed, and drove my 4Runner around to where she was parked. Now this simple request should have in no way irritated me, but as I had other errands to run and wanting to get home before it got too late, I am ashamed that at first I did not want to help her. I saw her car was parked forward in the parking space with about a 8 ft section of grass and concrete sidewalk on the other end....and she had cars parked on either side of her....basically no way of jump-starting her car unless we got other people to help push it out of the spot. However....this is where I think God gave me a great idea and being the adventuresome person I am, I became excited about finding a way to jump-start her car. (new Honda Accord by the way) Remembering I now drive an SUV for the first time in my life, I backed my car up, and drove it up onto the sidewalk and grassy area with not much room to spare from touching other nearby cars. Second time in a week I'm thankful I have an SUV, my old Honda would not have been able... Without further problems, she and I attached the cables and restarted her car. She thanked me kindly, asked me my name, and we made small talk for a few minutes. As I left the parking lot to run the rest of my errands, I felt content. I felt happy I had the privilege of helping someone in need, even in just the simple task of jump-starting a car. On the way down the road, I heard from my quiet radio what I thought was the "Empty Me" song. As I turned up the volume, sure enough it was....God spoke to me tonight, in a small way.

Sure this isn't a grand story of God's moving dramatically in my heart, but to me it means just as much as those bigger stories of God's moving in people's lives. I'm just happy I answered God's call to help this woman. What touches from God I would have missed out on if I had ignored her request and said I was too busy at the moment?!

My story/lesson for today...