Year Two, Day 64: God Bless Our First Responders

1 John 3:18.

"Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."

The above scripture was just quoted by President Obama in his speech honoring the fallen police officers in Dallas.

He also said:
"...we ask the police to do too much and we ask too little of ourselves".
President Obama. 7.12.2016


Such truth. Painful truth. 

And I need to be reminded of this daily.

Take yesterday for example.

I had come home for lunch after teaching.  I was feeling so good about my bicycle travels. My daughter and her husband were heading out to do some shopping. I asked them if they would return my Gwynnie Bee package, since I was on my bike.

Then I grabbed my purse and was heading out the door when I heard a lot of commotion. Coming from the house right next to ours. The house of many, many children.  People were screaming and running to the street.

"9-1-1! 9-1-1!"

I pulled out my cell phone and followed the runners.  There was a car in the middle of the street. And the body of a little boy.  People were screaming and crying.  I went to him. Knelt down. Gently laid my hands on his little body and prayed. I told him we were calling for help. My son-in-law was on the phone with the 911 operator.  The boy was convulsing.  The lady next to me was asking for something to put in his mouth.

Luckily all my years of parenting, reading and first aid classes kicked in. I told them not to touch him or try to move him, especially his head. And do not put anything in his mouth. Let the seizure run its course. I also told the crowd to back up, give him space and stop screaming. He needed to be calm.

Someone ran to his house in search of his mom. She was at work, but his older brother came running out.  Unfortunately, before we could stop him, he grabbed his head. I told him not to touch him. To wait for the EMTs.

There was a young man who was on the pavement with me. He was looking into the boys eyes. Telling him to breathe and hang in there. He was very calming.  I took the boys pulse. It was steady and strong.

I prayed. I asked the boy his name. He looked at me. Calmly, but with huge eyes. He tried to mouth "His name is Ory"

I said, "Ory, help is coming".

In retrospect, I wish I had told him who I was. That he had been in an accident.  I think he was in shock and did not know why he was on the ground with all these people looking at him.

It seemed like hours, but in just a few moments the ambulance, fire truck and police cars arrived. The man the hit the boy remained on the scene.

They took over very efficiently. Put him on a stretcher, with stabilizers for his neck.

God bless them.

I hugged my daughter and son-in-law and got on my bike.

To go to my next students home.

But again, thankful for this life. And that I was able to help, even a little bit.

I leave you with another scripture that President Obama just quoted in Dallas:

Ezekiel 36:26
(New International Version)

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."

Quoted by President Obama 7.12.2016

Happy Tuesday.

Please be safe!

Peace,

Zita