Her Name is Georgia, Part 1

“Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered.” – Proverbs 21:13

For the past few months, God has been doing major some demolition work in my life, breaking the hardness of my heart into tiny pieces. The problem? I have been apathetic and unconcerned about the needs of others. God has shown me that if I want to be like Jesus, I have to care about the things he cares about, and what he cares most about is people.

Her name is Georgia. If you drive down Battlefield Road in Springfield on any given day, you will see her walking. In fact, many people in town probably know who she is, although they might not know her by name. She’s a tiny lady, maybe 5’2”, and she can’t weigh more than 100 pounds. My guess is that she’s in her late 70s or early 80s, and she looks quite frail. One thing that always catches my eye is her outfits. She obviously likes clothes, and she usually wears a hat. Because I see her so often and in a variety of different locations, I’ve often wondered how many miles she walks each day.

This past Monday while driving home, I saw her. All bundled up in a parka, she was doing her best to shield herself from a fierce headwind. It was a bitterly cold day, and the wind chill was dangerously low. I sensed the Lord saying, “You should stop.” It was as simple as that. My response was, “But we’re headed home, and it would be inconvenient. I have things to do, and I’m busy, and ….” Blah, blah, blah. I’m embarrassed that such selfish thoughts entered my mind. Where was compassion? Where was love? Here was this poor woman, walking out in 20-degree weather while I sat in my cozy, warm car, and I am debating whether or not I WANT to help her! Sad. Pathetic. Not at all like Jesus. Within a few seconds, though, the desire of my spirit to obey the Lord overcame the selfishness of my flesh. I turned the car around and drove up to her.