You have all heard the story of the Good Samaritan in the Bible, right?  You haven't?  Well, it is a wonderful parable about taking care of your neighbor. Luke 10:25-37

Today, we had a bit of a "Samaritan" adventure!

First off, we visited with a wonderful friend of mine who is dealing with a sore back.  She's been laid up for a few days and we got to spend some time with her while she rested.  It was a wonderful time.  Just the girls and I.  We can learn so much from this dear friend.  She has homeschooled all her kids who are now out of the house doing "their" thing.  So exciting to hear how they got there.

Anyway, back to the S. thing.

My two girls had to race to the grocery store before we went to our friends house, and on the way in I vaguely noticed a car sitting on the "in ramp" to the store.  After we got our groceries, we had to race back home and feed the cat and put away our perishables.  Alas, at the "out ramp" of the store, I saw a lady with some kids in a car, hood up and obviously stalled.  If I can, I try to stop and help people when I see them. We were in such a hurry!  I agonized over not being able to turn around and go help her.   I said a quick prayer that the Lord would send someone to help her, and felt terribly guilty that I didn't have time.   It really ate away at me...

After our lovely visit with our friend for a few hours, it was time to head home.  We had to go back to the same store, to get gas for the car.  We were running on "E."  We also needed a couple of things we had forgotten.  So I pulled up at the front doors of the supermarket and my daughter was getting out to run in and....my car just quit running.  It was weird!  It did nothing.  I tried starting it up again.  Nada.  Oh that sinking feeling.

Right in front of the automatic doors.  In everyone's way!  The car never has done THIS before.  Just deader than a doornail.

So, my daughter just figured it would start back up and deserted me.  :)  My emergency flashers didn't even seem to work, so I was having to wave people past me.  One truck went around.  Then a car pulled up behind me and just sat there, waiting.  So I got out and told the gal driving it that I was stalled, and she would have to go around me.  She promptly asked me if I needed help and she parked really quickly and came back to push me!  Another gal joined her and they pushed my car (91 Ford Explorer) to a parking space. 

 Samaritans numbers one and two. 

My husband is on a campout with my boys.  Wouldn't you know it!  So I called a friend who lives close to the store and she came right over with jumper cables.  However, they were too short to reach, and while we were waiting for surrounding cars to leave so she could park closer to connect us up, THREE more people asked if we needed help.  One was a guy driving a truck with a "Purple Heart" on his license plate.  He jump started the car, while another guy who had stopped but didn't have cables said he was going to go get some friends to help push.  Wow.  The other was a gal, actually an old neighbor of mine.

 So that was Samaritans numbers three, four, five and six.

After we got it running, I still had to try to get gasoline, so I did, and the car went dead again.  So my friend jump started it again and we headed to the auto parts store to have the battery tested.

We got there safely, and the battery tested good.  But then we started to leave, and it died.  They charged it briefly and we headed home, about 5 minutes away.  About ONE minute away from the auto part store, it died.  Right at a major intersection.  ARGHHHHH!!!  My 17 year old daughter got out to push (BLESS HER HEART!!!) and a gentleman pulled up right behind us, got out of HIS car and helped her push us out of the way and into a parking lot.  He then went back and got his car and came back to be of assistance.  In the mean time, my friend who came to help way back at the beginning of this crazy saga had called her hubby who called a friend who is a mechanic and he was on his way!

The gentleman, Joe, told me that it must be the alternator.  You know, I can't even remember the name of the other guy, the mechanic who showed up with his wife and charged the battery for me for about a half hour with his GMC---of course he made jokes about my Ford, but that was ok by me.  It's the best $500 car we have ever owned, even if it does break down occasionally!

So, let's see; that makes Samaritans numbers seven and eight, right?

The mechanic offered to take me back to the auto part store and get an alternator and put it in for me, right then and there.  "It's only 3 bolts to take out."  Well, I was tired, hungry and a little stressed....although completely BLESSED by all the help that kept arriving.

So I decided to save the fun for my husband.  (He will be so thrilled, for sure.) And the mechanic and his wife and my friend both followed us the rest of the way home to make sure we arrived safely.  We did.

You know what I think about all this?  I was very surprised and thankful for all the help we got.  It was truly awesome!  But the Lord also showed me that He has the heart of a lot of folks out there, and even though I didn't stop to help a stranded motorist earlier today,  that when the tables were turned and I was the stranded one, God poured out the love on me.  There is NO condemnation in Christ!

So if you can't be the one to help out physically in a situation you see,  God's got it covered.  Pray and trust, and then when you can help, go for it and be a blessing.

Eight Samaritans.  Isn't the Lord wonderful?

Nancy