It’s never a bad decision to lend a helping hand

Harvey Kolberg and I drove to Delta Junction for the day recently. I know, that is a lot of driving for one day!

We spent more than 12 hours in the truck driving there and back just so Harvey could help me prepare to use my rare bison hunting permit. However, on the way back, in dark and with snow on the road north of Paxson, we saw something surprising and somewhat troubling. A car had stopped in the middle of the Richardson Highway. The headlights were on. Someone was sitting in the driver’s seat, but the car was stopped in the snow right in the middle of this major highway.

We turned around to ask the driver if he was OK. The young man from Switzerland had rented a vehicle in Anchorage, driven to Fairbanks through Denali Park, and was returning to Anchorage through Delta Junction and Glennallen.

The car he had rented did not have four-wheel drive and the tires were worn. So, he could not stay on the road in the snow unless he drove very slowly. On top of that, in this area of highway the side of the road drops off into Summit Lake and Paxson Lake. This young man faced some danger if he drove on, and danger if he stayed there.

After talking to the man, Harvey offered to drive slowly in front of or behind the man to get him out of this predicament. He accepted. So, we drove about 15 to 20 mph until we reached Paxson. By then the snow was no longer sticking to the highway, but there were still snow squalls. So, we continued to drive in front of the man to Glennallen. When we reached this town the man now had options and was safe.

Helping the man was not in our plans. It added time to our trip on a day that was already a marathon. But with just a little time and concern, this man was helped from a place of danger to a place of safety. It just took a little helping hand. It may not always be in our schedule, but God calls us to offer a helping hand to those around us. In fact, Jesus calls us to do more than that. He tells his disciples in John 13:34: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

We would all like to think we can make our way through life by our own strength and ability. But in all honesty, all of us have needed help at times. All of us have benefited from the kindness of others, even if we don’t want to remember that help. In fact, needing help is an ultimate truth of life. None of us can make it out of this world to the eternal welfare of heaven without Jesus. That is why Jesus left heaven for us and took on our suffering and death. That is why Jesus overcame our enemies by his resurrection so that we might have a way to eternal life through the love of God. As Jesus has reached out in love to help us he calls us to realize and believe in his love. He calls us to believe his love for us and to help others.

Who are those in your life who need a helping hand? Do you have friends or family in need? Have you volunteered at MY House or a food bank or Mat-Su Regional Medical Center? Have you helped a person beside the road? Consider where we would be without the love and help of Jesus.

Jonathan Rockey is pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Palmer.

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