Stepping Aside


If you saw a vagrant struggling on the side of the road with a bag on his back and arms full, bearing…would you carry a portion of his load?
If just a gesture of kindness and consideration would make him smile, would you take a few bags and walk the mile?
Now think about it before you answer for it may take a bit of time. Ponder, let the question linger in your mind.
Perhaps you are a woman, told you’re inferior in strength to him. Suppose you hardly walk or exercise and your limbs are a tad limp.
Maybe you’re so busy that at the end of a day, you have very little time to wander far from your way.
Then it would be easy to suggest you might merely sympathize with him at best. In your mind say you wish you could, but do considerably less.
Then you’d probably respond as many to this stranger's distraught, give him room, or walk right through, all the while continuing to walk.
But what if that man had everything he owned in that bag of stuff? Because he lost his home and job, would that be enough?
And he lack a job as a result of depression after his family died. And he already said, that one more thing he dread would push him to suicide.
Yet God knew that all he needed was one person considerate and true. To offer him a hand, this pitiful and struggling man and so he sent him to you.
Of course if you knew ‘that’, you would have responded differently you would have done your part.
You would, for God only knows you could, but he wanted to see what was in your heart.
So next time you witness someone distressed and conflicted, you might want to consider it a sign.
And at least ask, “Do you need me to help you?” Before stepping aside.