Yesterday I witnessed one of the saddest things I have ever seen…
On our way to church this past Wednesday night we came upon a traffic jam coming up the mountain. There is road construction going on all over our area at the moment, so at first I suspected that it was simply that, just road construction traffic.
However as we began to climb the hill and make the curve, we saw the blue lights…
It was a wreck.
There appeared to be no injuries… there was no state of panic at the scene… not an ambulance there yet… but then I saw it… I saw him.
Standing there behind one of the wrecked vehicles, yet infront of one of the police vehicles. Standing there in the midst of shattered glass and vehicle debris. Standing there in the midst of stopped cars lined in front and behind, all full of spectators… there he stood.
My heart broke.
There he stood in a wrinkled light colored suit with a grey scruffy beard and long greying hair that was whipping around a broken face… There he stood with his arms stiff by his side as he watched the policemen for instructions as he waited to attempt to walk a straight line.
I have never seen a man look more broken.
I have no clue who this man was… I do not know his story… all I know is that from my driver seat as I looked at him through the right side of my windshield my heart broke and I began to pray for the man I saw behind his eyes.
The men is my life today are all strong men.
They are not controlled by a substance or another man. These are the men I am used to seeing. Men whose word is true and sound. Men who take care of their families. Men who love their wives and their children. Men who stand tall.
There is something so sad and heartbreaking about a man who cannot be a man because he is controlled by someone or something other than Christ.
I do not know what led this man to this place, but I have prayed that he might know the love of God and freedom that can be his in Christ. I do not even know if he was guilty of what he appeared to be being accused of… but still I prayed. Even if he was innocent and misjudged… every car that slowly drove by and saw… this would be their only remembrance of him.
I do not know what hurts and lies led this man to this place. All I know is that I did not see an evil, cold, bitter man in those eyes… I saw hurt. I saw very deep hurt.
How I pray that the policemen on that scene saw what I saw.
How I pray that they were kind and not ridiculing.
How I pray that this man reaches up and finds the healing hand of Christ.