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Topic: Breaking the Rules (08/16/04)
TITLE: Breaking the Rules By Karen Treharne 08/23/04 |
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When I drove up the driveway about 10 minutes later, I honked the horn and waited for my husband Dan to respond. He stood on the porch with a questioning look on his face until I yelled out the window that I needed help. Ignoring the rain he hurried to my aid, and I told him the story.
Dan inspected Ellen, the name she finally gave us, and returned to the house to bring out a warm wash cloth. He stayed with her while I went inside to phone the police and make a sandwich. We tried to converse with her to determine what had happened, but she was difficult to understand, and I'm not certain that she wasn't on drugs. I took her hand and prayed out loud that God would protect her from harm and lead her from this situation to a better life. The police arrived and lectured me on picking up strangers while Dan nodded in agreement, then they took her away.
Several months later as I was writing a check for groceries, the box boy came to load my bags in the cart. I looked up to thank him and came face-to-face with Ellen. I didn't recognize her at first, but she remembered me. Her auburn hair was clean and tied back at the neck. she wore a white shirt and clean jeans with tennis shoes that showed some wear. What struck me the most though, was that braod smile exposing a broken tooth, and the sparkling blue eyes filled with tears. She reached to hug me and we stood for moments embraced together. Her life had turned around with a steady job and rehabilitation, and she thanked me over and over for my kindness and my prayer. She was now an active member in a nearby church and had accepted Christ into her heart.
I couldn't wait to tell my husband, and that night when we said our evening prayers, I was surprised to hear him say, "Thank you Lord for leading us in your will and teaching us that sometimes breaking the rules serves your purpose perfectly. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of Ellen's recovery and for making us aware of what you did for her."