UNANSWERED TEARS

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My wife and I were enroute to visit my cousin in Pensacola. And since I am a military retiree, we opted to stay a couple of nights at a hotel located on Eglin Air Force Base.

I was seated on the passenger side of the car, and my wife was driving. And as we neared the base, perhaps three miles from the main gate, and driving through some little non-descript adjoining town... I saw her.

Walking down the sidewalk in our direction. A thin, fair-haired young lady wearing a cream-colored top and beige pants. But her apparel was the least of what I noticed.

For you see, she was crying.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she appeared to be sobbing. First one, and then another person strolled past her in both directions. And yet, passersby seemed oblivious to the plight of the weeping woman.

Now, I looked over at my wife, and said,

"Look at that pitiful young lady. She looks devastated. I wonder why she's crying?"

And then... we passed her. We were heading the opposite direction. I found myself looking over my shoulder, as the woman continued her journey down the sidewalk behind me. And now, she turned the corner, and she was gone. And we continued to make our way towards our destination.

We all have regrets about things we have done, and things we should have done, but didn't. I failed to do something that day which I have regretted ever since.

They say, "Hindsight is 20/20."

Indeed, it is. Had I to do it all over again, I would have told my wife to pull over next to the young lady. I would have stepped out of the car, and asked if there was something I could do for her. Had she just lost her mother to an incurable disease? Did she discover her husband was having an affair? Had she suddenly found herself homeless?

But I went about my merry way. We didn't stop. And I didn't ask.

I have thought about that young lady a minimum of two or three times a month since I saw her walking down that sidewalk; tears coursing down her face. I can only hope someone more sensitive than I intervened on her behalf.

One of my favorite movies is, "The Time Machine." But, as I am prone to tell my clients, "There are no time machines." When we fail, the only possibilities which remain to us are to express our apologies to the one we have wronged (and/or) to learn from our mistakes, and vow not to repeat them.

I recently shared an admonition with several of my mentoring students.

"When God gives you an open door, march right through it. Don't wait for an engraved invitation."

(and)

"Woe is you and me if we have a clear and obvious opportunity to speak or take action on behalf of our Lord, and fail to do so."

I can think of no more obvious, and regrettable example of an open door in my own life, than that of the precious little lady; a multitude of unanswered tears flowing down her young face.

I will not make the same mistake again.

by Bill McDonald, PhD

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