The Worth of A Soul.

When I was growing up, my dad taught me and my siblings to, “do unto other as you would have them do unto you” and he instilled in us the great worth of a soul!  My mother followed up with the phrase, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all!”  As a child, my conscience was sealed with three distinct principles that my parents taught in our home: be your brother’s keeper, strive to leave things better than when you found them, and when you do good, you get good!

It didn’t take me long to realize how valuable those simple principles were to me and that they would govern the rest of my life.  I assumed that all people lived by these same principles, but was surprised to learn the world is not exactly as I had expected.  There were many challenging experiences that caused me to draw upon those precepts and in my quieter moments, I humbly appreciated the wisdom and counsel of my parents.  

Several years ago, I was in the park having a family picnic when I witnessed a man beating a child.  He was dragging this child across the grass by one arm, hitting him with a belt, and yelling obscenities.  Without hesitation, I ran across the park, with every intention of stopping what I had just witnessed!  

I demanded that he let go of the child’s arm and I asked him why he was hurting the little boy.  First, he delivered a string of very colorful metaphors and then replied, “He acts like an animal and I’m gonna treat him like one!  Mind your own blanking business!”  My reply to him was, “This has become my business!”

Immediately, I called the police.  They arrived within minutes and while they detained the man for questioning, I sat on the grass beside this little boy.  I could see by his broken spirit that he had been shattered by the terrible experience.  I felt impressed to do everything possible to comfort him, but there was so little time, and I wanted desperately to give him something of great value.  I began by telling him how special he was, that he was a good boy - that no one could take that away from him.  When his bottom lip started quivering with a wave of emotions, my tears surfaced, but I continued.  

I told him that I loved him and sometimes bad things happen to "really good people" and if this ever happened to him again, to tell someone that he trusts.  I told him that he didn't deserve to be hurt by anyone and that he was child of great worth to all the good people in this world!  He listened to every word that I said and when it came time for him to leave with the police officers, he understood clearly that a complete stranger cared about him.  As the police officers opened the door to the backseat of their vehicle, this little boy turned around and looked right at me, he waved goodbye with such innocence.

I don’t know what happened to the rest of this little boys life, but I know in the short time we had together, he knew there were others watching over him and that he was of great value.  Over the years, I have wondered many times about this boy and I hoped that he could used his bad experiences to remind him of how good he wanted to become.

A few years later, our family was traveling northbound on I-15, on our way to a reunion in Idaho.  It was in the middle of July and screaming hot outside.  Suddenly, and without warning, a man jumped from an overpass above us and landing on the pavement directly in front of our motor home!  We stopped so abruptly that everything inside our vehicle came crashing to the floor, including our children.

This man was seriously injured and lay unconscious on the freeway a few feet away from the wheels of our motor home.  His gaping head wounds were frightening and he had a broken bone protruding from his right arm (where he had instinctively put his hand out to break the fall) and  these were just the visible injuries.  Someone in the crowd had called for an ambulance, but it took fifteen very long and frightful minutes for them to finally arrive.  

We gently placed blankets underneath his body to protect him from the burning pavement and applied compressions to his open wounds; this slowed down the bleeding considerably.  When he started to come out of the unconscious state, he panicked and tried to get up.  With gentle restraints we persuaded him to lay still and to be calm.  I was down on both knees (holding the man’s shoulders with my hands) and attempting to keep him focused on the conversation, to reassurance him that everything was going to be alright. 

I can’t begin to express the urgency that everyone felt in saving this man’s life!  I had strong impressions that his family loved him dearly and that they had no idea of his desire to end his life!  We were consumed with his well-being and as more people stopped to assist, it was comforting to see the love and concerns that everyone had for this stranger.  

When the ambulance finally arrived, he was quickly loaded on a stretcher and rushed away.  We stood on the side of the freeway in shock from the ordeal and wondering how this man had gotten to a point in his life, where he thought this would be the only option.

Several month passed by and we were traveling in the same direction on I-15.  We had thought of this man many times, but didn’t know if he survived the trauma of his severe injuries.  We stopped by the police department of the closest town to the scene of the accident and they informed us he had lived!   His family had no idea that he was suffering from such deep depression and they were so grateful that he survived.  The officer knew the man personally and told us that he is a good man, just down on his luck.

Over the span of my lifetime I have worn out the principles that my parents taught me and with great respect and honor.  I understand what it means to be my brother’s keeper, strive to leave things better than when you found them, and when you do good, you get good!  There is one more principle that I have added for my children, “If not me then who, if not now then when?” by, Linda Sumner Urza, One fine day