OUR GOOD SAMARITAN

Well, the day I had been dreading for months had finally arrived: Moving Day. As I pulled away from the town, the home, and the people that I loved, a feeling of homesickness that had been building for weeks took its rightful place in my heart. As I followed both Mamma Mia and The Stinker down the road, who each were driving their own fully-packed vehicles, I quickly said a prayer for safety on our journey. In my plea to my Heavenly Father, I specifically asked for safe travels for all three cars, that Lulu and I would not have any complications (that’s right, somehow I got stuck driving with the smelly Basset Hound), and that my dad’s pride and joy, The Mustang, would make it the hour-long trip without stalling out.

Welllll, not five minutes into our voyage, The Mustang let us down. The Stinker had spent an hour just trying to get her out of the driveway, and for failure to come so quickly, I think our frustration and anger may have been palpable on the other side of the highway. My mom had been leading our little train of sadness, and unfortunately, she had been able to successfully make the turn onto the highway. This put The Stinker in quite the predicament: He was blocking the turn onto the highway, he had the world's most finicky car, and he had me (obvi a car expert) as his only help. I quickly pulled off to the side of the road, cracked the windows for Lulu, and cursed that dumb car under my breath. (I know I am going to get a lot of hate for this opinion, but I do not like that car. At all. No seat belts, no air conditioning, and terribly unreliable. Can someone PLEASE show me a redeemable quality?)

As I got behind the wheel of my least favorite member of the family, and attempted to follow The Stinker’s instructions, I began to feel very unqualified for the job at hand. Just then, an answer to prayer came: a Modern-day Good Samaritan. Upon seeing our predicament, our superhero immediately pulled his truck onto the shoulder, rushed over in his sandals, and began to help us push The Mustang out of the way of what quickly could have become a line of angry, frustrated cars. Our Good Samaritan popped the hood, and got right to work, tinkering with things way beyond my expertise level. Not five minutes later, he asked The Stinker to give her ago, and a sound that took us an hour to create took him minutes: the roar of the engine.

As our Good Samaritan closed the hood, he quickly explained that not only was he a mechanic, but that he had worked on this exact model of car before. I tried my best to hold back tears, as I realized how quickly and perfectly the Lord had answered my prayer. Probably annoyed by our constant, “THANK YOU’s”, he left with a, “No problem!”, and we were able to complete the rest of our trek with no complications.

Now, I am almost positive this man did not view us as his enemy (although, we are moving to a rival town). However, I believe that even if he had known which high school football team we would be pressured to start cheering for (NEVER GONNA HAPPEN), he would have stopped anyway, just like his namesake. This man was the epitome of loving your neighbor, and he showed it through His Christlike service. Just likethe Good Samaritan, this man, “bound up [our] wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set [us] on….[our] beast” (Luke 10:34). He did not seek payment for the miracle he performed, instead, he just left us with a smile, a wave, and a greater knowledge of God’s love for us. It is no coincidence that minutes after we broke down, an expert came driving down the road. I know for certain, that the Lord sent him. He sent us our own, personal Good Samaritan, to help us on our difficult journey.

So, looking back, I have learned three things from the events of that day.

1. I am never getting an old car. Sorry future husband, find a different hobby.

2. People are good. So often we are shown a constant play-by-play of all of the negative things society has to offer. Well, I want to spotlight some of the good that happens in this world. This man immediately jumped to the aid of his fellow man, and expected nothing in return. His example taught me what Christlike love really is, and made me want to be more prepared and aware of the opportunities I have to serve. This man made me want to be more like Christ, and that is one of the highest praises I could ever give. To that man, I want to say thank you, again, for all you did for us that day, and all your example continues to teach me.

3. GOD HEARS AND ANSWERS OUR PRAYERS. One more time, for the people in the back! GOD HEARS AND ANSWERS OUR PRAYERS. Guys, Heavenly Father is the real deal. He listens to every plea of our heart, and although the answers are not ones we would always expect, they are the ones we need. When I uttered that somewhat-distracted prayer, I asked for safety and smooth sailing. How easy would it have been for Heavenly Father to just make the world’s worst car run flawlessly? Nope. Instead, He answered my prayer with a learning opportunity through an example of Christ. This experience allowed my testimony to soar, my heart to yearn to be better, and my homesickness to be forgotten (for a little bit). The Lord loved me enough to hear my prayer, and answer it in the best way possible.

So, we’ve moved (don’t ask me about it quite yet, it is still too painful). Am I over my homesickness yet? No. Am I excited to be here? Ehh. However, I know that the Lord hears the tender cries of my heart. Christ knows exactly how I am feeling in this moment, because He went through it. This allows He and Heavenly Father to answer my questions, concerns, and doubts with answers that are perfectly tailored for me. And they do just that, time and time again. So, with that in mind, I have decided to have hope (please, keep your shocked reactions to yourself). Thanks to this experience, I know that with the help of Their feelings of comfort, a lot of faith and trust, and people like my Good Samaritan, everything is going to be alright.