There but for grace...

[dreamflower]

This afternoon at work, a customer came over to me and asked me to come and look out the window.

Staggering along the verge between the parking lot and the road was a man. The customer told me he'd seen the man fall. The poor fellow was carrying three huge bundles-- maybe a tent, an oversize backpack and something else I couldn't identify. He kept dropping one or the other, and he looked like he'd fall over again at any minute. The heat was as brutal today as it's been for the last month.

The customer told me he'd seen the man fall in the ditch and was laying down for a while before he got up. I asked him to go and speak to a manager, as I couldn't leave my area. He spoke to L., and she went out to see about it. She took some water, and I observed them briefly talking before I had to get back to my register and wait on customers.

L. told me afterwards that the poor fellow was homeless. He'd slept outside last night, but he was looking for a church or someplace where he could stay the night and maybe get a meal. The customer who first voiced his concern put the homeless man and all his gear in his truck, and was going to take him to a church he thought could help the poor guy.

All I could think about was that I was glad that he hadn't had a heat stroke or anything, and that I hoped he'd be OK. And I wish I'd had a chance to tell the Good Samaritan customer what I thought about him, because he might have saved that man's life.

Too many people are so close to being in the same boat as that poor man.

Comments

[shirebound]

There but for grace...

Absolutely, my friend... for all of us. You did your part to bring one soul a bit of relief today. I wish him well.

[dreamflower]

I wish I could have done more. And I wish him well, too.

[(Anonymous)]

I'm so glad someone helped him - well, that a chain of people helped him. Things are very frightening these days

[dreamflower]

Times are so scary! I'm glad to know that there are still people with good hearts who try to help.

[addie71.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad that customer had a caring heart.

[dreamflower]

So am I. It reminded me of the sort of thing my husband would do (and has done in the past).

[aspenjules.livejournal.com]

What an angel that Good Samaritan was. And how encouraging in this crazy world that there are still people willing to help a stranger in need.

On our trip to Germany, though our straits were never anywhere near as dire, we had countless strangers assist us in difficulties we were having, and one young man in particular has been the recipient of many of my prayers of thanks for stepping in and helping in a situation that could have become quite dangerous (and had me rather scared, though he reassured and calmed me that all was, and would be fine).

I really hope your brutal weather eases SOON. Do you guys not have cooling stations? Here, when it gets really bad (like in the 115F or more) they set up places in the city where there are cold drinks, and either air conditioned areas, or at least misting systems to help cool an area off.

[dreamflower]

The larger cities like OKC and Tulsa have places like that-- emergency stations and shelters, and places run by various churches and organizations like the Salvation Army.

But this is a very small town, and there's not much like that here. The churches are doing their best, though.

[pearltook1]

So glad he got help - a chain of help that you were a link in! :-)

Things are still very frightening for a lot of people in our country. :-(

[dreamflower]

I was a very small link; I wish I could have done more.

We live in scary times.

[lbilover.livejournal.com]

That is in many ways similar to what happened where I work with that homeless couple. Thank goodness for the Good Samaritans who come to the aid of such unfortunate people. I hope that man will be okay. :(((

[labourslamp.livejournal.com]

Thank God for that man, and the church that will help him out!!

[ellynn-ithilwen.livejournal.com]

Poor man. :( Such things - poverty, pain etc. - make me so sad. :(
Hopefully the man got help in the church.

[ansostuff.livejournal.com]

Poor guy! I glad you and your boss were around to help. In that heat it must be dangerous just to go outside for long without water.

[claudia603.livejournal.com]

oh I hope that man will get the help he needs. Bless you and the customer for doing what you can to help! It's a rough world out there now. *hugs*

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

So glad people were there to help him!

[elasg.livejournal.com]

Things like that are going to become more commonplace I fear. And when the destitute outnumber the good samaritans, what will happen then?

I live in a small town too and the resources for the poor are few and dwindling. We haven't had your heat to compound things but winter will come. I only hope the 'haves' who've precipitated this mess get some taste of the havoc they are wrecking.