A couple of years ago my hubby and I had the opportunity to go to Hawaii. It was a glorious 3 week vacation, visiting 4 different islands, seeing an incredibly beautiful part of the world...truly wonderful. Of course I tried to save all my gift shopping til the very last so I didn't have to carry it around in my suitcase from island to island. So, on the last night of our trip we did two very important things...we visited the Dole Pineapple Plantation so that the hubby could have that mouth watering pineapple ice cream one last time and we found a Walmart so that I could get the best deal on buying boxes of chocolates to share with friends and family.
The Dole Plantation went off without a hitch, but our trip to Walmart ended up a little differently. When we drove into the parking lot it immediately became clear that something was not right. It seemed that everyone had stopped mid stream, people walking out of the store stopped in their tracks, others walking towards the store seemed frozen. Our eyes were quickly directed towards the reason for this seemingly unnatural situation. In a car parked not too far from the store entrance sat a woman...screaming. She sat in the driver's seat and at the top of her lungs she was screaming and yelling at a man standing next to her window. It became very obvious that things were not good. As my husband and I watched a female security guard walked tentatively towards the couple. The young man yelled some obscenities and threats at the woman and she quickly retreated.
At one point the young man raised his hand, as if to strike the screaming woman through her open window, only to lower it and scream right back at her. Finally, as an entire parking lot full of people watched the young man reached through the open window, unlocked the back door, opened it, sat down and closed the door. The woman continued screaming and crying while again...everyone seemed frozen.
I'm ashamed to say that my task of getting chocolates wasn't lost from my mind. Looking back, I believe I simply thought, "I'm sure someone is calling the police and I just need to get what I came here for". As my husband inched slowly up to the store entrance I opened my door and proceeded inside with the understanding that my husband would pull back up to the store when he saw me emerge with my precious purchases.
When I entered I heard over the loud speaker that the police had been called. That seemed to take the problem even further from my mind and I set about tracking down those yummy treats that only can be found in Hawaii. After what seemed like only a few minutes I ventured up to the check out line. In reality it had probably been about 10 or 15 minutes (you know how time flies when you're shopping). While standing in line the couple in front of me remarked on the incident that had occurred outside. I don't recall what they said, only the image of that young woman that entered my mind again. Having grown up in an abusive household I felt a great deal of sorrow for her, but knew that it had been handled.
I walked out the door finding the parking lot calm and peaceful. No screaming couple...no police... just cars coming and going on a warm sunny day. I stood there only a few minutes before my husband came driving up, I got in the car and we drove towards our hotel. What my husband told me next made me so grateful, yet so ashamed, that I will never forget this experience in my life.
After I went into the store my husband had gone and parked the car. He told me that without a thought of danger to himself he had gotten out of the car and walked up to the car of that screaming woman. His first and only thought was to help. His first and only thought was to help not only that young woman, but...the young man. As he beckoned some other men, standing in the parking lot watching, over to stand near him...he opened the back door to the car and said to the young man, "Whether you're right or wrong, you need to get out of the car" He said it was only as he opened the door that he noticed the baby strapped in the car seat beside the young man.
The young man got out of the car, the police drove up...and my husband returned to our car to wait for me. Thus, by the time I finished my shopping...all was calm.
As we talked about what had transpired my husband realized that nobody knew if that young man was dangerous. My husband had no idea whether that young man had a gun or another weapon, it certainly would not have been surprising in this day and age if he had. There was no thought except to do what needed to be done. Maybe, it was a stupid move? It could have ended very tragically, but it didn't.
I wonder how many of us would sit by and watch and not act, out of fear for ourselves? I know, my thoughts were on chocolate and not what I could do to help. I wonder how many of us lack the courage to do what we know is right? Have we grown so complacent in our lives that we would choose to watch and let someone else fight the evil that invades our lives so smoothly? I'd like to think that I learned my lesson from this experience. I'd like to think that I wouldn't sit by again...and think about trivial unimportant material things...when there is someone openly hurting. I'd like to think...I'd act.
While I choose to learn from this experience...I'm also grateful. Grateful for a man who stood up for what he knew was right. I'm grateful for a man in my life who shows me what it truly is to be courageous, not only in thought but in action. I'm grateful for a man who had the presence of mind not to sit and watch...and the courage and strength to open a car door for a young man who clearly needed a righteous example.
