Our Radically Available Rescue

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where there was no obvious solution? The kind of moment where every option seemed to lead to another dead end? Sometimes those moments become the very places where we witness God's provision in unforgettable ways.

Jesus told a parable in Luke 10:25–37 about a man who had been beaten, robbed, and left on the side of the road. Several people passed by without stopping, but a Samaritan—a man who would have been considered an unlikely helper—had compassion. He bandaged the man's wounds, took him to an inn, and paid for his care. Jesus ended the story with a simple command: "Go and do likewise."

The Good Samaritan reminds us that loving our neighbor isn't just a feeling—it's action. It's choosing compassion when it's inconvenient. It's seeing someone else's need and deciding to step into it.

Recently, my family experienced what felt like our own "Good Samaritan" moment.

We were driving home from Texas, already 15 hours into a 19-hour trip, when we got a flat tire in the middle of Illinois. As if that wasn't enough, we discovered our spare tire also had a hole in it and was completely flat.

It was 8:47 p.m. on July 3.

Every tire shop we could find was closed or about to close. The next day was Independence Day, followed by Sunday. Realistically, we were looking at being stranded until Monday.

To make matters worse, when we called a tow truck company, they explained there was only room for two passengers in the truck. There were three of us.

We were out of options.

So I searched for tire shops and "randomly" chose one called 57 Tires. Their listing said they were open until 9:00 p.m. I called anyway.

A gentleman answered the phone.

He told me they had already closed, but then he did something unexpected. He texted me his personal phone number and said to let him know if we still needed help.

A few moments later, he sent another message.

He said he would drive 20 minutes from his shop to where we were stranded, take our damaged tire back to his shop, mount a new tire on the wheel, then drive another 20 minutes back to install it on our vehicle.

And that's exactly what he did.

Late on the evening before a holiday, after his workday was over, he chose inconvenience so that complete strangers could get safely back on the road.

Can you believe it?

Actually...maybe we should.

As Christians, we believe God still works through ordinary people with willing hearts. Sometimes His miracles aren't dramatic displays from heaven. Sometimes they look like a phone call being answered after closing time. Sometimes they look like someone giving up their evening to help a family they've never met.

Was it a coincidence that I chose that particular tire shop? Perhaps some would say so.

I prefer to see the fingerprints of God's providence.

The Lord knew exactly where we were before our tire went flat. He knew the holiday weekend was coming. He knew we had no usable spare. He knew we couldn't all fit in the tow truck.

And He also knew there was a man whose heart was willing to help.

That evening reminded me that we are surrounded by opportunities to be Good Samaritans. Most of us won't encounter someone beaten alongside a road, but every day we meet people stranded by grief, discouraged by circumstances, overwhelmed by burdens, or simply in need of someone willing to stop.

The question isn't whether those opportunities exist.

The question is whether we'll notice them.

Who needs your compassion today? Who is waiting for someone to stop, to listen, to encourage, to give, to serve, or simply to care?

You may never know how deeply your kindness impacts another person's life. The man from 57 Tires probably thought he was just changing a tire. But for our family, he became a reminder that God sees us, cares for us, and often answers prayers through the hands and feet of ordinary people.

May we be the kind of people who are willing to interrupt our schedules, sacrifice our convenience, and reflect the compassion of Christ wherever He places us. May we be radically available. 

Because somewhere today, someone is praying for a Good Samaritan.

Perhaps God is calling you to be one.

~Elsie