A man showed up on my blog yesterday at 3:28 pm and wrote this:

i am calling for my stepdaughter, please help asap. she is 7.5 months pregnant and has been under a doctor's care on methadone maintenace, since she was on the methadone clinic when she became pregnant. two days ago she left her boyfriend's house who became abusive and does not have anywhere to go. we lost our home in the storm and are in a small apartment caring for elderly parents. we put her up in a hotel for 2 days until we find help. she has to go to a meth clinic daily which is a 2 hour drive and has no transportation. she desperatly wants help. please help.

---------------------------------

OK folks, this is a specific concrete need. When needs like this show up, the time for sermonizing about being like the Good Samaritan has passed. How do we as Jesus-followers help? What do you do when you see pain? How do you typically respond?

I looked up his phone number and he and his daughter live in New Orleans. I called and left a message saying that we (that's you and me) would try to help. He called me back and we talked. He's a real human being - a plumber by profession trying to care for a daughter who has had a rough time.

So now what?  [See next blog about this here]