Listen to Your Inner Voice

Have you ever ignored that little voice inside your head that tells you to do something? Talk to a stranger who looks hopeless. Help someone you don't know...like a mother walking along the roadside, carrying groceries, with her three kids dragging behind. Offer someone a hug who's been crying.  Strike up a nice conversation with a colleague who nags the living hell out of you. Well this evening, that voice spoke to me. Not once, but two times...




The first time, I had just left school when I saw a colleague of mine standing at a bus stop. My first thought was oh no he has to take the bus! My second thought was I should have stopped and offered a ride. But as I continued to drive away, I talked myself out of it...I have to pick up Buddy Roller, maybe he's not going my way, and on and on, the excuses came. And still, even to this moment, I regret not helping.

After picking up Buddy Roller, we drove by the library to drop off some books. That's when I saw the lone mini van in the parking lot and sensed something was wrong because the library had closed almost an hour before. That's when I spotted a mother and her daughter sitting on a wooden bench. It was obvious they needed help.  Here we go again.  That little voice came back. Are you going to help this time?

I was not going to let an opportunity to help someone pass me by a second time!

As we approached them, I realized they looked familiar. They attended my church! And stranded they were! Mom was rushing and accidentally locked her keys and cell phone inside her minivan. Help was on the way, but they had been waiting for close to an hour. Mom said they were fine since help was on the way, but something inside me, told me to stay.  So I did. Mom was able to use my phone and call to check that roadside assistance was actually on their way, they were able to sit in the air conditioned car and cool off from the heat, and I was also able to take them to a nearby restaurant to use the restroom and get something quick to eat. When we returned, help had arrived, and mom and daughter were able to get in their car and head home.

As I reflect on this day, I know I need to listen more to my inner voice and not talk myself out of helping others. I believe we are strategically put in a particular place, at a specific time, for a fated reason. And sometimes it's to help another fellow human being out of an unpredictable situation.

Call it God. Call it fate. Call it destiny. Call it intuition. Call it whatever you choose. It's real, and it happens every day. It's choosing to take that leap of faith...that makes all the difference.