Goodness Is As Goodness Does

I witnessed an accident on the highway this evening as I was driving my boys home from tennis lessons. It shook me up, and I'm having a little trouble getting past it and my reaction (or lack there of) to it.

As I drove along, listening to my boys fight over a water bottle (of all things), I noticed in the distance a car that seemed to be taking an exit way too fast. But, the car missed the exit and veered off at full speed into the grass and trees to the left of the exit ramp. Smoke and dust and broken glass billowed out in the car's wake and soon a sea of red tail lights lit up in front of me. I slowed down with the rest of the traffic, and as I approached the dissipating dust cloud, I saw the car. It was a dark blue Corvette, half hidden by tree branches, hood crumpled from the impact with the tree trunk. I grabbed my phone, trying in a blink of a second to remember the cell phone code for the state police. The code wouldn't come, and I was ashamed that I wasn't helping that poor driver. I wasn't even making the critical call for the ambulance and police. I knew I couldn't stop with my kids in the car, and yet I couldn't even think to dial 911. I was frozen in a state of hesitation as I inched my car past the scene. I did nothing. Luckily, not all the passersby were like me. In my rear view mirror, I saw a man, who had immediately pulled his car over as soon as the Corvette veered off the road, approach the damaged car, stooping under the branches, bravely about to face whatever sight he might find. I noticed two other figures running toward the trees and a couple other cars had pulled over, undoubtedly, to see what they could do to help. With a little relief, I moved on towards home. Someone would help that person (or people) in the crumpled Corvette. Not me, but someone. Thank God for people like that man, first on the scene, stooping under the branches to look in the window. Thank God for the people who didn't hesitate. Thank God for those who selflessly take action whenever crisis strikes. I thought about the victims in the car, and I thought about the people who love them, and I thought about how I'd feel if someone I loved was in that car, and I cried.

Tonight I will pray for the driver and passengers. I will have faith that those brave passersby got them help and that the ambulance came screaming down the highway mere seconds after I passed the scene, saving them in time. I'll give thanks for those people who so selflessly stopped to help a fellow being in peril. And I'll ask for the courage to be that type of person, one who doesn't hesitate, but who takes action to help others.