A Defining Moment

I still remember the day my life changed. It was back in community college on a partly cloudy day. I was between classes and decided to eat lunch outside that day. The Central Piedmont campus has a small pavilion behind it that leads to a tiny pond. I find myself a good table in the shade and start eating.

Midway through my meal, I notice this woman sitting on a nearby bench. She's dressed all in black, complete with eye shadow, and is just staring into space. So I turn back to my food, and I'm minding my own business when all of a sudden, she starts hyperventilating!

Naturally, my first thought is "Oh no, she's having an asthma attack. I need to call 911." So I pull out my phone and run up to her. I asked her if she had asthma and if she needed help. She told me it wasn't asthma but a panic attack. So I asked her what was wrong and...and....

She just broke down and cried right there on the bench.

She told me she'd recently gotten married, only to find out that her husband didn't really love her and was just using her for her money. And she'd already sacrificed so much to be with him that she couldn't just leave him either. Needless to say, she was devastated.

I spent the next forty-five minutes just sitting next to her on that bench and just PRAYING. Praying for her, her husband, her life, and anything else I could think of. As I prayed and comforted her, her sobbing softened, and her breathing eased. By the time she left, she was doing much better, and she told me she was really grateful for me being there.

That incident was what turned me into "Everyone's Confident." From that day, I decided I would offer everyone I met three things:

1. An ear to listen to them.

2. A shoulder to cry on.

3. Words to help them move forward.

Because all too often in this day and age, we are so quick to pass judgement on our fellow man. A man talks to a child, he's a pedophile. A woman hangs out with more than one man, she's a slut. If a girl's a tomboy, she's a lesbian. If a guy cries, he's weak. Etc. Even I have succumbed to these judgments before. But our Father in Heaven does not judge. We are all equal in his eyes. Equally sinful but also equally lovable. These past few weeks, I've seen what it's like to love someone as God loves someone. Unconditionally. And now that I have, I have no choice but to share that love with others. So I ask you:

How can I help you?