Many Samaritans

Luke 10:36-37 NIV
” ‘Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers? The expert in the law replied, ‘The one who had mercy on him.’ Jesus told him, ‘Go and do likewise.'”

In my almost thirty years on this earth, I have gone through many highs and lows; There have been thousands of instances when I have wanted to give up. Any time I have experienced change, like moving to Colorado from Louisiana, losing a friend or loved one, or any time someone would hurt my feelings, all it took and all it takes is only one word, one action, one mere second for my emotions to immediately descend to darkness.

Yet, if there was ever a time in my life where I wanted to truly “throw in the towel,” it was just over ten years ago in Steamboat Springs, CO.

During my first year at Colorado Mountain College in Steamboat, I struggled a lot. Homework took hours and I spent weeks at a time missing out on church and time with friends. The only other significant challenge though had to do with just getting to class.

Colorado Mountain College, or CMC, a small community college in Steamboat, is located at the top of a very steep hill. Within the last several years, they have done major renovation work to the dorms and entire campus. The road up the hill, and the entire campus,  looks worlds better than it did prior to being made new.  

Yet, back then, I hardly thought about what my campus looked like at all.

In the spring of 2009, while at CMC, I saw a neurologist in Aurora, CO and was diagnosed with a very obscure seizure disorder, so obscure that it is still hard to fully describe it.

The main symptom of this disorder, which I still deal with today, is that my entire body can get overheated very easily. If I am outside in the heat, doing a lot of physical labor, or if I am stressed, my entire body can get disproportionately warm, as compared to the actual temperature or task that I am doing.

This especially happens whenever I am exercising, or doing something liking walking up a hill to class.

So, almost every day at CMC, I walked up that steep hill to class. I gritted my teeth and squeezed my hands into fists. I took off my hoodie, carried my backpack, then got to the main building, and before starting class, would buy a water bottle and pour it over my head to cool off.

If I had to do that every day, I probably would have never graduated from CMC. I would have never gone to CSU, or lived in Fort Collins on and off for almost the past eight years.

There is a reason that all of the above things came to pass and are happening right now.

I have been blessed by many Samaritans.

I have been helped in many ways by countless people, friends, and family members. The most significant way started back at CMC. I got car-rides, and I got rides up the hill!

Sure, there were times I did not get rides, when I would walk up that hill, and judge the “Levites” for not “helping a brother out.”

Yet, for every one of those times, I remember someone who gave me a ride: on a hot day, on a rainy day, on a snowy day, or just a day when it happened to be -32 F outside.

Today at church, Pastor Aaron Stern talked about what it truly meant for the Good Samaritan to help that man on the side of the road, what he had to risk, what he had to give up.

I loved the message today, however, as I sit typing this in the library, looking out the window to see a bright and sunny day, there is something I need to remember, to know, and to live.

I have been blessed by many Samaritans, and loved by the ultimate Samaritan, Jesus Christ.

Yet, I am also called TO BE a Samaritan: to my friends, family members, and to every single person I see each day.

God used many Samaritans in my life, and He used their initial gifts of transportation to evolve into deep friendships.

Who knows what He has for you today? Who does He have for you to love?

As Pastor Aaron Stern said today, let’s not just be people of “god-talk.” Let’s be people of “god-action” that radically show the love of Jesus to those around us.

As always, thank you for reading. God still has plans for #mzunguwarrior and He also still has plans for you.

Until Next Time,

Jacob McGowen