Love your neighbor as yourself.

"but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others."

I am not a "saint"!

OK, well technically I am, the Bible calls all Christians "saints". What I mean to say is that I am by no means the end all and be all of morality.

I do not always have the very best knee jerk response to every circumstance I am faced with.

But I will say that when I am driving down the highway, and I see a dog dodging in and out of traffic, I can not, no matter how hard I wish I could...I can not keep driving and forget I ever saw it. There is just something in me that will not allow me to not turn around and catch the flea infested mutt and take him to safety. Which (much to my patient husbands chagrin) is usually my house until I find it a new home or locate it's owner. I have to help. I just do. OK, that's a dog, and I know that most people do not feel so obligated to do the same. But what if it was a person?

What if it was a child?

An elderly person? Surely everyone, or at least

most everyone would stop to help their fellow man (or woman)

in need.

Maybe...

I hope so...

So, I was wondering...how many people are there in this world who would watch a woman fall flat on her face, and not flinch to help her. While waiting for a movie to start I witnessed that very thing. On my way to help, I passed a group of 5 or 6 men in their 30's-50's just standing there looking at a woman who had fainted and fallen on her face.

Not one of them even made movement toward her.

This scene has been a haunting memory as I reflect on our society as a whole, and wonder if this is a good example of what we have become. I keep trying to understand,but I have to say, I just don't get it. There was no risk of personal harm, we were inside the theater lobby, brightly lit area. She was not being robbed, there was no criminal to be fought off, all that was needed was someone to go to her side and see if she was OK, or needed help. But no, they did not even move toward her, they just gawked. I did not see her fall as it was the sickening sound of her hitting the floor that turned my head, but since they were closer, I asked the group of men..."Did you notice if she hit her head?" Fighting off a smirk, one tells me "Oh yeah, she didn't even try to brake her fall she landed on her face." I tried to tell myself, "you know sometimes when you are nervous you laugh, or smirk, Kelly", maybe that was his problem. I hope so. I didn't feel so full of grace later when I was thinking it over, I really do hope I am wrong. It is so disturbing to me to imagine that the majority of people would have so little regard for their fellow man that they would not help someone in need even when it is of no cost or sacrifice to them. I really need to pray that I am raising children who would help others and rush to the side of someone in need without even thinking about it. it seems like a "no-brainer" to me, or at least it did before this happened....

I didn't think anyone wouldn't rush to her side.

I will be praying that we all become more compassionate for others, and that this is not a growing attitude of apathy.

Let me remember Ephesians 4:32 as I pray for the men in the lobby..."And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."