Shortly after beginning his daily patrol on the freeways in a large metropolitan area, a policeman received an alert code signaling that not far away an infant or small child was choking. Acknowledging the message, he switched on his warning lights and began speeding by traffic. Seconds were precious—the difference between life and death.
Little more than two miles down the freeway the officer neared an exit ramp—the only one that would get him to the address in time. But it had just been closed and was blocked by construction equipment. Skidding to a stop, he jumped out of the car to see if there were any way he could get down to the residential street below. But there was none—and valuable seconds were ticking away.
“Hey officer, can I help you?”
He looked up to see the operator of a huge earthmover talking to him. In a few short words he yelled, “Choking baby. I need to get to that street.”
“Follow me! I’ll make you a road down to it,” shouted the young man.
The officer followed the immense bulldozer as it carved a path to the bottom of the embankment. Once again free and speeding down the street, he was soon turning into the driveway of the home. A frantic, sobbing young woman ran to his car, shouting, “My baby’s choking and blue. . . . He’s in there.”
The officer ran to the house to find a tiny choking form. Quickly catching the baby and holding it upside down, he firmly thumped its back. Immediately something popped out of its mouth and bounced on the floor—a small blue button.
His face now returning to a healthy red, the infant thanked the officer by screaming angrily between gulps of air. Handing him back to his trembling mother, he said, “He should be fine now.”
The next day, the officer, again patrolling the same freeway, stopped at the construction site. He intended to thank the young man and tell him that his quick action had saved a tiny life. The operator, seeing him, stopped his bulldozer, jumped down, and came running towards him, waving excitedly.
Surprised by these actions, the patrolman began to tell him, “Yesterday . . . that little baby . . . ” But he got no further, for the young workman broke in breathlessly: “I know, I know! That was my son!”
Who knows what the present and eternal consequences of an act of kindness may bring? “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:1010As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:10)). However, because of the flood of corruption and violence today, we must be wise as serpents, seeking our God’s direction and guidance, as we go about looking to do good.
Ed.