As I walked through the train station looking for the bathroom I noticed a figure lying at the foot of the escalator and a woman next to her with a look of desperate concern and panic. An elder woman had fallen down and could not get up. I rushed over and helped her off the floor. Thankfully she was ok.
As I walked away from the scene I realized that many people had stood there watching. Some even thinking to themselves, ”Someone should help her.” No one did though. No one acted.
I’m now sitting on the train to our next city in Czech Republic having just read the chapter in Decision Points, George Bush’s memoirs, about the decisions and responses he had to make to 9/11. It gave me a whole new respect and love for our former president. The other thing that it has taught me is how necessary action is, and how often we don’t take it.
The story in Decision Points that had the biggest impact on me was when George Bush describes the heroism on Flight 93. This is where Todd Beamer rallies the passengers into action to stop the terrorists from being able to fly the plane into the capital. Wow! What amazing acts of bravery and courage! What inspiration.
So often we don’t take action in our day-to-day life, our faith, or in areas of interest. This is often a result of fear, a lack of readiness, or the thought that “Someone should help her”. We are all people made for action. What would your faith look like if you took action? What would your life look like if you stopped being afraid?
As I ponder these questions, I’m reminded that often some of the greatest rewards in scripture are to those who take action. As Jesus would enter a city he would heal many, but think of the blind men, cripples, and countless others who would shout over the roar of the crowd to get his attention. They would have been terrified of the ridicule they would receive and even potential persecution. The people back then were not very merciful. Yet when Jesus would hear them, he would go and heal them. I would say that is a risk and a fear that they are glad they faced.
Besides these random thoughts that went through my head while reading Decision Points, it also revealed to me part of an answer to a question that has been plaguing me these past 7 months. “Why is America so awesome?” Is it because we have better education? Or our government has checks and balances? Or even because we are a democracy? Are Americans just smarter, better, superior people?
Sad to say these are some of the thoughts that I have contemplated. They are all not the right answer. The answer is that we take action. Just as George Bush had to take action against the al Queda, American rise up and confront problems whether reactively or preventatively it results in a solution.
It’s funny because it makes me think about this journey I am on right now. People have told me they would love to do something like this. Or said they respect me because they never could. I am always fervent in pushing the fact that I am no different than anyone else. All I did was take action in the pursuit of something I was passionate about. I saw something I wanted to do, that I wanted accomplished, and I went after it.
This thought of action is one that I want to inspire in everyone’s faith. Our faith is not something to be lackadaisical about, but something to take action about. We should take what should be our number 1 and pursue what we want to accomplish with it. Don’t limit what you are capable of.
I found it fascinating that it wasn’t one of George Bush’s lifelong dreams to be president, or even be a politician for that matter. He saw things that needed to be changed and took action upon those ideals.
I don’t want to start rambling, though I fear I have already crossed that threshold, but take action. It doesn’t have to be on a grand scale of becoming president, but it could the action of helping up the old woman. Don’t be imprisoned by the mentality “someone should really help her” That someone IS you.
