Good works prepared in advance for us to do
Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (NIV)
I couldn't make it to the mid week service today. There's something urgent I needed to attend to. Later on in the evening I decided to go grab something to eat at a popular red & white fast food outlet :).
The route I always use from home to the main road has an on ramp from the freeway which is often used by large delivery trucks as they come to the main road. At the traffic light where the two roads join, cars are required to give way to turning trucks as they require two lanes for turning. I saw one car on the left lane waiting to turn and there were two trucks one in front of the other in the right lane- which rarely happens.
As I approached the intersection I realised there was a long backed up queue of vehicles which were behind the trucks. When I got to traffic light I realised what was causing the hold up...there was a car which had broken down and it was blocking all the on ramping vehicles. I rolled my window down and asked how I could be of assistance.
I got out of the car and stepped to him. It turned out his radiator had run out of water. At the same time when I got to him, some guys from the truck came to him and said they could push him downhill (down the road I had come up). Their concern was for them to have the way cleared to enable them to pass. It wasn't really about the guy's welfare.
I suggested for us to push the car somewhere in front- in the main road. Since I was parked in front of the guy I had to move my car out of the way. The truck guys pushed the car and as soon as it was out of their way, they let it roll on its own. When it came to a standstill I asked him what had happened.
It turns out the guy had asked a petrol attendant earlier to check his oil and water. He had thought this had been done, but the breakdown proved otherwise. At this point the guy also told me his car battery had gone flat.
I turned my car around, took my jumper cables from the boot popped the bonnet open and we put the connections on our batteries. We started the engines and before long his battery was recharged. The guy was really appreciative of the assistance. Interestingly enough...he offered to get me something from the 'red and white' outlet :) as a token of appreciation for the assistance. I told him that he didn't need to do so, I was just helping out.
Though I didn't say this to him, I figured had I been in the same situation I would have looked forward to having someone help out in the same manner.
It was a divine appointment for me to leave home at the exact time which I did, to arrive at the scene at the time I did and to assist in the manner I did. This was a good work which had been prepared in advance for me to do ;)
Lessons learnt from the experience
1) Some people help you and think you've been helped only to realise later you've actually been set up for failure.
~ You therefore need to interrogate the assistance. Had he not left the petrol attendant unattended (pun intended :), he likely would have obtained the requisite service.
2) Some people 'help you' to get you out of their way. Not everyone who assists you has your best interests at heart.
~ They can assist you because that helps out with their own agenda. If you're left in a better state than prior to their help, then you would have benefited. The guy at least got people to push his car to a safer spot.
3) Some people help you to ensure you are left better off, and they don't expect anything in return.
~ You must not lose faith in people's potential to do good. Not everyone who seeks to assist you has a hidden agenda. Keep on sowing the seed of goodness all around you as well.
I couldn't make it to the mid week service today. There's something urgent I needed to attend to. Later on in the evening I decided to go grab something to eat at a popular red & white fast food outlet :).
The route I always use from home to the main road has an on ramp from the freeway which is often used by large delivery trucks as they come to the main road. At the traffic light where the two roads join, cars are required to give way to turning trucks as they require two lanes for turning. I saw one car on the left lane waiting to turn and there were two trucks one in front of the other in the right lane- which rarely happens.
As I approached the intersection I realised there was a long backed up queue of vehicles which were behind the trucks. When I got to traffic light I realised what was causing the hold up...there was a car which had broken down and it was blocking all the on ramping vehicles. I rolled my window down and asked how I could be of assistance.
I got out of the car and stepped to him. It turned out his radiator had run out of water. At the same time when I got to him, some guys from the truck came to him and said they could push him downhill (down the road I had come up). Their concern was for them to have the way cleared to enable them to pass. It wasn't really about the guy's welfare.
I suggested for us to push the car somewhere in front- in the main road. Since I was parked in front of the guy I had to move my car out of the way. The truck guys pushed the car and as soon as it was out of their way, they let it roll on its own. When it came to a standstill I asked him what had happened.
It turns out the guy had asked a petrol attendant earlier to check his oil and water. He had thought this had been done, but the breakdown proved otherwise. At this point the guy also told me his car battery had gone flat.
I turned my car around, took my jumper cables from the boot popped the bonnet open and we put the connections on our batteries. We started the engines and before long his battery was recharged. The guy was really appreciative of the assistance. Interestingly enough...he offered to get me something from the 'red and white' outlet :) as a token of appreciation for the assistance. I told him that he didn't need to do so, I was just helping out.
Though I didn't say this to him, I figured had I been in the same situation I would have looked forward to having someone help out in the same manner.
It was a divine appointment for me to leave home at the exact time which I did, to arrive at the scene at the time I did and to assist in the manner I did. This was a good work which had been prepared in advance for me to do ;)
Lessons learnt from the experience
1) Some people help you and think you've been helped only to realise later you've actually been set up for failure.
~ You therefore need to interrogate the assistance. Had he not left the petrol attendant unattended (pun intended :), he likely would have obtained the requisite service.
2) Some people 'help you' to get you out of their way. Not everyone who assists you has your best interests at heart.
~ They can assist you because that helps out with their own agenda. If you're left in a better state than prior to their help, then you would have benefited. The guy at least got people to push his car to a safer spot.
3) Some people help you to ensure you are left better off, and they don't expect anything in return.
~ You must not lose faith in people's potential to do good. Not everyone who seeks to assist you has a hidden agenda. Keep on sowing the seed of goodness all around you as well.
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