I was listening to the radio the other day and they shared some statistics. Back in the '70's, around 68% of people were willing to hitchhike. Today, that figure is closer to 18% (my hands were in dishwater, so I couldn't get the exact figures). The radio commentary really ragged on people for hitchhiking or picking up hitchhikers.
Although I don't recommend picking up hitchhikers, I must admit, I've been a hitchhiker before.
Back in the days when I lived in Hawaii, I had no job, very little "extra" cash to pay for The Bus, and frequently traveled between Hauula and Laie...around 3-4 miles each way. So, what do people do when they see a blond, fair skinned girl walking on the highway? Well, they pull over and generously offer her a ride.
Let me tell you, I never got into a vehicle unless I felt completely safe. No scary music playing and no hairs standing on the back of my neck. However, I know, as a parent, that it would be terrifying to know that one of my children was sometimes taking rides from strangers.
There were some seriously generous people out there! The people who pulled over were sometimes male and sometimes female. There was one guy who passed me, pulled over, turned around, picked me up and took me in the opposite direction just to be nice. One van load of Samoans pulled over and gave me a lift and there was never anything scary about the situation. Just truly Christian service from these people.
I'm not saying that we shouldn't be careful. I am saying that we should use the Spirit more often in our lives to know when and how to help people; whether they are on the street, in the grocery store, or our neighbors.
1 comment:
Brock picked up a hitchhiker on the way to institute one time and feared for his life. That's hard to believe with Brock, he's so laid back. I could never hitchhike intentionally, and I'm not sure if I could even accept a ride unless it was really necessary. I would rather sit in my car and wait for someone I knew, or an officer to arrive.
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