From The Heart: What are the Chances?

There is Always Someone Who Needs a Break More than We Do

by Lori Kroh

Scott heard a knock on his office building door. It was a dull knock at first, and then it turned into a banging sound. He never gets that door, yet today he got up and answered. He saw a man hunched over and writhing in pain. He was really hurting. Scott saw he was bleeding and called 911.

The man proceeds to tell Scott that he was riding his bike down a steep hill and a car literally almost ran him over. He made a sharp turn off the road to save himself and his bike didn’t have any BRAKES!

As he was going downhill, he was gaining a lot of speed and he knew he was going to crash.

The man then proceeds to tell Scott one more piece of news. He said, "Well, as I was flying through the air, I was hurled into a car. It’s parked right outside here." Scott asks, "You were thrown off your bike and crashed into a car?" The man nods his head and he has a gash in his matted and bloodied hair. Scott gulps and asks ..."What color was the car?

The man says, “Crimson.”

Scott knew instantly and heaved a sigh. The car we had just paid off ... well, now it would have some damage. What’s the worst it can be?

Scott walks out to see his car and it’s unreal. There are huge, deep ruts and wide banged-up areas on the hood and side of the car. You can see the man’s entire body had slammed into the car with an incredible force and understand why he was so much pain.

Scott didn’t care so much about the damage, he cared more about that man. Yet, he does think to himself about the irony of it all. One man’s bad day is truly all about perspective. What’s the worst it can be?

The ambulance comes, the police show up, and Scott is on the phone with his agent. They are all asking questions and the man doesn’t have any answers.

Scott said he felt a sadness in the air and then his eyes fill up with tears as he confirms what he already knew. He looks in the man's eyes.

He quietly asks the man, "Sir, are you homeless?" and the man slowly nods.

So, the man who was riding a bike with no brakes gets ran off the road by another car and he crashes into Scott's car and the insurance agent says — “Well. This is incredulous. It looks like we can’t press charges. This is going to cost you. Then, Mr. Insurance man says, “Literally Scott. What are the chances?? You just paid this off and you were never in a wreck. What are the chances?”

Only this — that sometimes in life we catch some bad breaks. Really bad ones. Some are not so bad but we make them bad with our lack of perspective. And sometimes what we face is truly awful and just a never-ending nightmare. Lonely times, deep grief, and serious issues that cause us to have fear and lose hope and question everything in our lives.

Yet, through it all, there is always someone who needs a break more than we do. Scott had a bad day and yet, this man is homeless. What can be done to remedy his life?

We just have to pay a deductible and suffer lost time. His life could be drastically altered by a little change, or so I always was taught. People who need a break in life may need more than money. They may need a smile, our time, our connections, and most of all ... the ability to get a break from those of us who know how to give them.

What will it cost us? Everything. I can’t stop thinking about how much more we can do to help those less fortunate than us. My friend told me over coffee that it’s not truly giving unless you sacrifice. And so Mr. Insurance agent ... you are right. It is incredulous. It’s going to cost us. And how fortunate we are to learn this lesson now ... just what are the chances?