Mixin’ It Up

March 18, 2006

As you can tell by my infrequent and inconsistent posting, I run out of things to write about. This is funny since I never seem to run out of things to say.

Anyway, to mix things up a bit, I thought I’d see if I can’t get all of you to do a little blogging for me. Besides, it’d be nice to make this more of a two-way relationship.

So, from time to time, I’m going to throw out a Random Question. I’m hoping you will be so inclined to answer. You can do so by simply leaving a comment. I suspect we all might be enlightened by what others have to say.

(If you’re new to commenting, there is no need to fear. Simply click on “comments” at the end of this post and you’ll be taken to the page where you can leave your own comment—and read everyone else’s too. Just scroll down to the “Leave a Comment” box. If you want to remain anonymous, you don’t even have to leave your name, email or website…just your comment. What could be easier.)

I feel compelled to lay down a few ground rules. First, please be civil. This is not the place to rip on someone, post your spam, gossip, practice vulgarity or be a pain in the booty just for the sake of being a pain in the booty. Second, I reserve the right to delete any comments…just because I can. Third, for all you perfectionists out there (and any pastors’ wives who think they need to keep up some sort of image) please note there are no right or wrong answers. Just be real.

OK. Here’s the first Random Question:

“The most courageous act I ever witnessed was ________.”

I immediately thought of an experience I had in Jerusalem when I lived in Israel during college. The streets downtown weren’t exactly spacious, nor were the drivers particularly sane. Not only was there a lot of street traffic, but there was quite a bit of pedestrian traffic as well. If you were a pedestrian, Rule #1 was to be sure you were not in the street at a crosswalk when the light was about to turn green and the cars were about to go. If you were, vehicles would hit you. End of story.

Well, one day I was approaching a busy intersection on foot. The light turned red and people ran to make it across the street before the light turned green (which always seemed to happen very quickly). I was stuck in a crowd of people and had to wait til the next go-round.

Well, as I stood waiting, I noticed a blind woman with a walker start across the street much too late into the light. There simply was no way she was going to make it across in time. Sure enough, she only got out about 10 feet when the light changed. I have NO IDEA what the drivers were thinking but like I said, a green light means go…even if you are about to kill someone apparently.

Those of us standing on the corner were stunned—at least I was. I had no idea what to do and felt totally paralyzed as I watched the elderly woman stand frozen between lanes 1 & 2 as cars, trucks and buses raced by, literally within inches of her. (And when I say “raced” I mean “traveling at very high rates of speed indeed.”)

I thought I was going to throw up.

Then, as about 2 dozen of us stood there like idiots, one brave woman stepped directly in front of oncoming traffic with her arm outstretched as if to say “I don’t care if you are a monstrous automobile with the ability to flatten me in an instant, STOP!” She walked up to the blind woman, whispered something in her ear and then gently led her back to the curb.

It was absolutely one of the most courageous things I ever witnessed firsthand. I only wish I had the guts decency to do the same.

Category: Life

Comments

14 Responses to “Mixin’ It Up”

  1. Amelia
    March 19th, 2006 @ 3:22 am

    Thank you for sharing that story. It was incredible in the range of good and bad that it showed.

    My husband and I have pondered your question and the best we could come up with are the time-elapsed examples of courage that we see in the lives of people around us who exemplify fearless living.

  2. caroline
    March 19th, 2006 @ 3:41 pm

    Okay … this is completely off the top of my head, but here goes.

    A nine year old girl died days after a head on highway collision caused by her grandmother who was driving. The other car’s driver was killed instantly in a blaze of fire and the grandmother after being in critical condition for some time will never fully recover. Anyways … the nine year old with really very little bodily injury lapsed into a coma the day following the accident due to severe brain swelling. Her father and mother who are separated and her sister were by her side in the hospital the entire time. Declared brain dead the family donated her organs and she died on her sister’s 12th birthday … All Saints Day.

    In our small town of 1200 the funeral was huge to say the least, and right before the service began this 12 year old girl walked in front of everyone and broke the silence singing ‘You Are My Sunshine’ a cappella for her little sister.

    This was just a year and half ago. The young lady remains a tower of strength, a witness of God’s faithfulness.

  3. cmhl
    March 20th, 2006 @ 1:06 pm

    when I was about 12 or 13, my dad & I went to a grocery/gas station to pick up a gallon of milk. we were inside, and all of the sudden we look out to hte pumps, and a young girl is out there pumping gas, and there were flames coming out from under her car. My dad looked directly at me and said “STAY HERE”, and ran out to the pumps. he told the girl (college aged?) to help him push, but she was just stunned. he yelled to the station to hit the “off” button for the pumps,a nd pushed the flaming car himself away from the pumps. I’ll never forget it.

  4. Nancy Brandt
    March 21st, 2006 @ 5:52 pm

    My mother. My dad had polycystic kidneys (I have them, too, as does my brother and my daughter) and for years was going into kidney failure and no one (not even his doctors) realized it. I came home from the Army as a snotty, Looking-out-for-number-One, person and saw that Mom was miserable. Dad was miserable and made everyone around him that way. I asked her why she didn’t leave him. Her answer colored the rest of my life. “You don’t leave,” she said. “Marriage is forever.”

    A year or so later, his problem was discovered and he immediately went on hemodialysis. His personality changed for the better, and Mom, being an RN, took over his care when the Army (he was retired) gave us a dialysis machine for our house. For the first year or two of his treatments, they didn’t go well and Mom was a wreck about it. She blamed herself and sat at his side for the whole four hours of each treatment waiting for something bad to happen. Only once did she take a break, going to Florida for two weeks with her parents to relax and recover. When the doctors realized that something was wrong with his graft in his arm and fixed it, life was much easier.

    However, she lost him three months after he had a transplant. He died in a hospital two hours from home at 4 am and she wouldn’t let the chaplain call us kids (I was 25, my sister was 21 and my brother was 17), preferring to drive the two hours home alone to tell us herself. She made all the funeral arrangements. I was with her and asked how she could do it.

    “You do what you have to do.”

    When my sister died at 27, my mother made it through that, worrying about me and being strong.

    She is the bravest, most couragest person I know and my hero.

  5. Amy
    March 21st, 2006 @ 8:23 pm

    Wow…great stories! It’s amazing how a person, a circumstance, a way of life can make such a huge impact on us that we never forget it. Very cool.

  6. just me
    March 23rd, 2006 @ 3:29 am

    it seems so paltry after all of those stories…i did not cut myself today

  7. Amy
    March 23rd, 2006 @ 8:44 am

    Dear Just Me,
    I would certainly be remiss not to address your comment, and given that I don’t have your email address, I will post here…
    Courage, growth and character are developed mostly in “small” victories. Therefore, I commend you for a day free of cutting—something that may appear insignificant (or “paltry”) in itself, but grouped together with the larger whole of your healing, is hugely significant for sure. Thank God He only requires us to make it through one day moment at a time and we are assured He will not overwhelm us in the journey. I hope you are in relationship with at least one trustworthy and grounded Christian who will walk closely with you, encourage you, pray for you, hold you accountable and support you. If not, I highly encourage you to do so. God BLESS you.

  8. Lazy Mommy
    March 23rd, 2006 @ 11:28 pm

    My grandma was a teacher for several hundred years (or so it seemed:) and one day she stood between a group of kids and a dog on the playground. I don’t know all the details, but I know she was attacked and was awarded “Tri-Citian of the Year” for her act of bravery. Personally, I think raising her 3 daughters alone in an age when being a single mother was unheard-of was by far the more courageous act.

    I really like your blog, I wandered over from cmhl but I think I’ll stay awhile.

  9. Lazy Mommy
    March 23rd, 2006 @ 11:33 pm

    Sorry, I just realized that I did not witness those things. I can’t believe I broke the rules on my first comment.

  10. Amy
    March 24th, 2006 @ 7:48 am

    Welcome Lazy Mommy! Rules? Nah. Yours was another great story—thanks!

  11. Jes
    March 24th, 2006 @ 6:54 pm

    either I’ve been living in my own world, walking around with blinders on, or I have been surrounded by a bunch of cowardly people.

    I don’t know. WIll think more.

  12. joibeth
    April 12th, 2006 @ 11:39 pm

    On several occasions I’ve watched my daughter board a plane headed to a foreign country, choosing to live in that country, as a single female, on her own (not with a denominational organization) in order to tell the people of that country about the One, True God. She has courageously chosen to leave behind her familiar culture, values, language and her family and friends to accomplish what God has laid on her heart to do. At one point she left with a return ticket dated one year away and had a job and apartment lined up for only the summer! She had to courageously trust God that where He leads, He provides!

  13. Tess
    July 6th, 2006 @ 12:26 pm

    While I was a freshman in College my brother was still in High School but our Spring breaks happened to coincide. We both got a group of friends together and headed to the beach for the week. Our first morning there several of us raced out to the end of a long jetty where my family had gone many times before to watch the dolphins play.
    Unfortunately, as soon as we reached the end of the jetty a “freak” wave overtook us. When I climbed the final rock and stood up a Wall of water that was more than twice my height crashed over us and pinned us to the rocks. We held on for dear life as wave after wave swirled us around like rag dolls, smashing us into the rocks.
    Finally the waves subsided and we were able to get free. My Brother and some of our other friends saw what was happening and ran out to help us, but a wave swept another girl off the rocks and the same thing began to happen to her. The only difference was she was out in the water so each time a wave came it would carry her forward and then smash her into the rocks, then the wave would pull her back only to smash her into the rocks again.
    My brother saw what was happening and jumped in after her. He grabbed her and held her in front of him so that each time the waves would drive them forward he could hold her with his arms and then avoid being smashed into the rocks by planting his feet on the rocks. He then timed the waves so that he could “throw” her up on the rocks so she could climb to safety. Once she was out he also climbed up out of the water.
    Needless to say we were all broken and bruised, but my brother and the girl he saved were the worst. They both had to spend time in wheel chairs then to crutches before they finally recovered.
    There were lots of us there that morning but everyone stood there paralyzed watching a very frightening scene. My brother was the only one able to jump in and do what needed to be done to save his friends life.
    He was recognized as a hero by our hometown when we returned, and was awarded a plaque, medal, and certificate. They also declared the day in honor of his name.

  14. Lisa
    May 14th, 2008 @ 10:39 am

    Amy, your last entry appears to be May 2007 . . . A YEAR AGO. Where are you? I found your blog site(?) a week and a half ago, and it has ministered to me like, well . . . like only God can do! I’m praying for you!

    Lisa

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