First....a little background. This devotion came to me as a newsletter from my dear friend Corrie who is currently serving as directors of an orphanage in Nicaragua. Their ministry is a powerful one, and God continues to show them and teach them some pretty awesome things on a daily basis. Here is her story:
“I Am My Brother’s Keeper”the side of the highway, he is just lying there!” Chris pulled the truck over and we rolled
closer to a dark form sprawled out on the shoulder of the busiest highway in Nicaragua. “Do
you think, well, is he drunk?” I leaned forward straining to see him. Chris lowered his voice
and said; “he may be … dead?” He went to a whisper on the last word. My eyes bugged out
and my jaw dropped as I turned and looked at the body on the road as Chris got out of the
truck. Tractor trailers screamed by and the force of their passing made us shake. I turned the
hazard lights on as I watch Chris cautiously approach the body while the children and I
prayed. I saw some movement and was so relieved. One after another I watched vehicles of
all types pass by while Chris tried to waive down help. “Good thing he wore his red shirt today.”
I was thinking to myself. A couple of vehicles slowed down to look but kept on driving.
Finally, two trucks pulled over. I saw a lot of talk, pointing, and waiving. The man driving
the truck looked Chris up and down then threw his hands up and waived over his shoulder
as he walked off. Chris then talked to the other people. The same result, they left.
Chris came over and got the cell phone. I shoved a water bottle and some cash out the window
as I learned that the young man was hit by a car as he was walking down the side of the
road, 2-hours earlier! The impact sent him into the ditch and he had managed to crawl to the
shoulder for help before he collapsed. He was lying face up on the dark pavement for hours as
the heat of the Nicaraguan sun bore down on him. He was in shock, to say the least. He regained
consciousness and Chris helped him to his feet. He staggered a couple of steps back
and then clutched his left side in pain. From the looks of him he was about nineteen. Per his
request, we put him on a bus to go to the hospital that he had a card for (providing him with
free government health coverage). He assured us that the hospital was next to his house and
that once he got there he would be okay, and then thanked Chris profusely.
Afterwards, Chris sat down in the truck and blew out a long slow breath. “Can you believe
it? A guy was lying on the North Highway, on a Sunday afternoon, for 2-hours, in 90 degree
heat, and NO ONE stopped to help him! I could not even get someone to pull over and when I
finally did, all they could say is; “he is not my responsibility.” He shook his head in disbelief
as we headed toward home. “Daddy, why wouldn’t anyone help? Doesn’t anyone care here
in Nicaragua?” Erica was fighting tears while Stanton wanted to call the police and hunt
down who hit him. “Baby, it is not just here in Nicaragua, it is the world. Remember the
good Samaritan? It was on a day like today, people coming and going. Some even passed
the wounded man on their way to church, yet no one would stop, look, and care enough to
make a change except the good Samaritan. You know, I am not arrogant enough to think that
I can change the world, but we all can do something about the guy right in front of us!” It
struck me as I looked in the back seat at the children who were quietly each in their own little
world pondering what had just happened. But we can change the world, if each of us would
just help the guy right in front of us. I Am My Brother’s Keeper. ~Corrie Harris
www.NicaVFN.com
No comments:
Post a Comment