We came upon the wreck just moments after it happened.
The older gentlemen stood beside his mangled car, looking confused and disoriented. Others had stopped and were checking on the other vehicle, which had careened into a ditch just inches before hitting a major power line.
We pulled around the wreck trying to avoid shards of metal and glass that covered the road, then pulled over to see if we could help. I passed the other car—where everyone was gathered—and asked if the driver was ok (he was). Instead, I was heading toward the grey-haired man wandering in the road.
I got to his side and realized immediately that he needed someone to stay with him. Poking at his phone, he mumbled something about calling his sister, but he didn’t seem to be able to make his cell phone work. I glanced into his car as smoke poured out of it, and saw that the impact had been strong enough to cause both air bags to deploy. The cuts on his forehead were a perfect match to the pair of glasses he searched for as we stood there.
I knew exactly what to do.
“You need to turn off your car, sir.”
He looked at me confused, then silently complied.
“Is there anything that you need in there? Do you have a wallet? Grab your car keys so you can get into your house.”
He silently complied.
“Do you need me to call someone else? Can I dial your sister’s number?”
He shook his head, and looked at me confused.
“See my car over there? I want us to walk over there and sit down, ok? I think you may have hit your head.”
He agreed, and we walked a few steps away as he told me about what had happened to cause the wreck, and tried to call his sister again. I waited with him until his family arrived, not able to let go until I knew he had someone else to turn to.
Just a few years before, I’d been in a similar situation. Driving to pick up my daughter from dance class, someone ran a stop sign going 50 mph and hit me dead on from the side. After pulling my car over, I sat stunned.
I remember someone coming over to ask if I was ok, and me telling them I was even though I didn’t really feel it. I remember trying to dial my mother’s phone number, but not being able to remember how to use my phone. I remember being confused as I spoke to her, and not being able to say the words I wanted to say. I remember being scared that I was hurt, but couldn’t tell, and couldn’t think straight.
I was lucky and sustained no long-term injuries. But for months, I couldn’t pass an intersection without flinching when another car approached from the side. It gave me a point of reference that I’d never had before. An experience that made me sympathetic to the elderly gentleman I’d come upon.
Have you had experience as a new mom, or a single mom, or a mom of twins? Have you struggled with postpartum, have a child with special needs, or have step-children? Is there another mom you’ve come upon in your daily life—maybe unexpectedly—that seems to be wandering through your same situation dazed and confused?
God calls us to be a light in the darkness of this world. And any mom that’s made it through their child’s first year can admit one thing: not every day is rainbows and unicorns. There are moments of darkness. Moments of confusion. Moments of being overwhelmed. Moments when we can’t even remember the names of simple items, like a pencil. We each have had our days when we longed to share our struggle with another mom who understood us without casting judgment.
Sweet mom, if you’re a few steps down the road further than another mom you know who is struggling, I encourage you to reach out to her. Be a light in her dimming world. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:5 NIV)
Show her the love of Christ, by simply being someone she can turn to, by being someone she can rely on. Show her that hope is just up ahead!
The impact you have on her—and her children—could be the very thing she needs most to succeed as a mom. And, it could be the very thing you need to realize how far you’ve come in your own journey.
Have you ever felt like you needed another mom’s help? Why do you think so many moms struggle with reaching out to each other? Who can you reach out to today to show her the love of Christ?
- Ch…ch…ch…CHANGES Are Coming in 2017 for TMI - December 27, 2016
- What New Thing Are You Ready to See God Do in Your Life in 2017? - December 26, 2016
- Heaviness and Newness - December 23, 2016
