I use prayer abundantly and rely on my faith:  here is a glimpse into the humiliation and love I was exposed to recently. 

I found myself in a situation that was extremely awkward for myself, for those around me, and for the person who appeared to be losing self-esteem, self-confidence, and pride.  It was one of those situations where I felt quite helpless regarding how to assist in the situation and yet so uneasy about the tone of what was going on around me.

I arrived near the end of what transpired, so I can only imagine what this person had to endure prior to what I saw unfold.  No judgments were made regarding the situation, I saw no fault of any person, no disrespect, just a desire in everyone’s eyes that the situation would have unfolded differently. 

When I appeared on the scene the older person was already humiliated regarding the situation and not incredibly pleasant or welcoming toward any type of assistance. From the perspective of a new person approaching the situation, it looked like everyone involved was doing nothing to help, yet somehow I understood the awkwardness of the situation.  

I tried to quickly get a grasp of what was happening around me, but for the second time in my life, I had no solution to the awkwardness and chaos of what transpired. As I walked up to this establishment, I saw a woman standing outside, an employee holding a door, a mat removed from the front entry, and a person standing to the side of the door. The person was overcome with frustration.

I first walked up to the door but then realized the woman outside might be standing in line.  I then realized this woman was a friend.  I believe the situation was as awkward and confusing to my friend as it was to me.

Because I approached the situation late I really didn’t know if anybody had done anything prior to all the uncomfortable moments of silence. I approached the door and asked the person if they needed a ride or if there was any way that I could be helpful.  It was clear the person was so frustrated they couldn’t speak and appeared to be getting angry.

I always think of my parents when I see someone who could use some assistance or an act of kindness.  This person was older and was in need of some extra love. I think of the time when my father fell on the ice in a parking lot and nobody around him came to his assistance.

I also think of those moments when people are embarrassed to help and embarrassed not to help. I believe everybody present wanted to help but for some reason the awkwardness of how the situation unfolded made helping this person feel impossible. Because of both the person’s response to me and the fact that I had no idea what was going on, I walked back out and stood in line.

At the time I didn’t know the true awkwardness of the situation, and I still don’t know what transpired prior to my arrival.  With several more minutes of nothing happening and no one helping this person, I walked back in only to see this person’s pants fall to the floor.

It was clear that nobody was able to help the person in any tangible way.  Although I wanted to go over and tie the drawstring on the person’s pants, I felt a strong feeling that it was not appropriate at that time.  I walked back out of the restaurant waited in line and watched this awkwardness continue until the person was somehow able to tie the pants.

I left out a few minor details.  This person who was frustrated and humiliated bent down to the ground multiple times while balancing a walker and having a disability. I don’t know how many times this happened prior to my arrival.  The situation was heartbreaking and painful.  I felt as though I could almost feel the person’s frustration and pain.

The person, so humiliated, closed themself off to any help from those around.  I could only help the person in one way, and that was through silent prayer.  “Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus Christ, please assist this person.”

The person was now standing at the curb.  We wanted to help but felt paralyzed.  From a distance, a man and woman going into another establishment saw the person waiting at the curb.  They walked over, started talking to the person, and quickly took charge of the situation.  

The man spoke to and assisted the person the entire way to the car.  He was a newcomer to the situation and was able to assist this person in regaining self-confidence and self-esteem. Thank you, Jesus!

As a child, I was put into a similar situation, where the awkwardness of the situation was so intense for both the person experiencing the situation and the ones trying to help.  When I am in a situation where the person is not welcoming any type of help that would facilitate the situation, prayer is the answer. 

As I assist people in different situations I also utilize prayer, but when the situation does not allow for me to personally help, I rely exclusively on the power of prayer. 

It took a person who was new to the scene to be able to help this person regain composure and allow for assistance and companionship.  I could see that the young man and the older person bonded in those moments.  Love and kindness prevailed. Prayer was abundant! 

My heart was filled with appreciation and gratitude when I saw the couple approach the person with assistance.  Prayer is the answer to situations that seem rather hopeless or impossible.  There are no limits to the power of prayer.

Click here to stay connected.