When things backfire...

Today's lesson boys and girls, is to really THINK before trying to do the right thing. Don't believe me...read the following. TRUE STORY!

I was out on a long stretch of road when I passed a lady carrying several bags that appeared to be groceries. Normally, this would not have caught my attention, but with the rain pouring down, I felt pretty bad for her. I continued to drive, but my heart was heavy because I just can't stand to think that someone is struggling. Then a thought popped into my head: What if that is Jesus and He is testing to see if anyone at all will even offer to help? Well, I turned around to go offer a ride. At first, I couldn't find her, and thought, "Well, I failed that one." Then I caught her shape in the steady rain. I pulled up next to her and tried to catch her attention. She was looking the opposite way into the field. I hollered, and still she looked away. I honked to get her attention. She stopped walking, turned to my vehicle, and stuck up her middle finger while yelling at me that she was NOT A PROSTITUTE!!! In shock, I started shaking my head and saying, "Ma'am, I just wanted to offer you a ride." She screamed again, "I AM NOT A F*&^%ing PROSTITUTE!" There were cars behind me, so I gave up. As I drove away, I smiled and thought, "Okay, Lord, What is the lesson here?" Then I had this pretty cool thought that this lady was a fighter, and she would be okay without my help.

As it turned out, I was driving around town wasting time because I needed to wait on the restaurant to open because I had to grab Jeff's cell phone (he left it there last night). I finally just pulled over into an empty parking lot to make a phone call to 411 to get the number of the restaurant to see if they would open the door and just give me the phone. While I was waiting on the operator, I noticed a police cruiser pull up directly behind me. The officer got out of his vehicle and I rolled down my window to the pouring down rain. He asked if I had, earlier, tried to pick up a lady. I said I had, but she screamed at me. He said she called in my license plate number to report my "soliciting her". I about came out of my skin, but instead told him what happened. He asked for my identification and told me that he hoped I understood that he had to check it out. I said I did, but that in no way was I soliciting her, I was just trying to help her get where she was going in the rain. I asked if I was in trouble for trying to help, and he said I was not, but it was illegal to pick up hitchhikers. I said that she was not hitching, I was just trying to help. He asked what I was out and about for, he had been following me as I randomly drove around town. I explained the cell phone situation. Then I decided to be really brave and told him that I was worried that she might have been Jesus with a test. He grinned and said, "If you had been in church, this would have never happened to begin with."

Moral to the story...go to church. If I had to do it over again, and it were any other day of the week but Sunday, I would. I still believe in tests.