Helen: To Be Seen & Known
I paced back and forth on the shoulder of the road, just hoping to be seen. Minutes prior, my friend left me with her car, to hike to her nearest relative’s house. Gripping the car keys tightly in my fist, I prayed someone might magically come along with a spare tire. We were two young women, with two dead phones, in a sketchy neighborhood, with one flat tire. Not ideal to say the least.
It was that day, on the side of the road, I met Helen.
Helen was by no means a knight in shining armor. Picture an older woman, in her sixties, with cascading gray curls down her back. She was walking very slowly, almost in a dazed manner. I saw her out of the corner of my eye, coming down the sidewalk, and quickly decided she’d be of no use to me. She passed by and I thought she was long gone…
“Excuse me, are you alright?” came her faint voice, as I turned to meet her eyes. Yet her weren't looking into mine. They stared off into the street, glazed over, almost distracted.
“Well, we got a flat tire. But no worries – my friend’s uncle lives just up the road.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I’d offer you some help, but I’m mostly blind, so there’s not much I could do.”
The pieces of Helen began to put themselves together. Yet, I’m not quite sure how to explain what happened next. Even in that moment, it didn’t make sense. Everything about the woman was unexpected. She, a random stranger, launched into a life story of love, loss, heartache, and pain - to a teenage girl with a flat tire, one hot Saturday morning.
Helen’s said her boyfriend passed away just a few weeks ago. Many of her relationships in life, including her family and children, soured over the years. The single, bright light of her life (in her words) recently joined the angels. However, the trouble didn’t stop there. Her home did not legally belong to her – the house deed belonged solely to her deceased boyfriend. She was not in his will, but she could fight it, and file a claim. Yet, being legally blind, simple paperwork was impossible for Helen. With no one around to help, she was losing the place she and her boyfriend had made a home together. So what was she supposed to do? Thoughts of being homeless and forever alone plagued her. Worry and anxiety painted her entire face. Helen began to cry.
I listened, gripped with compassion and heartache for Helen. Everything inside of me just wanted to do something to relieve her pain. I wanted to provide hope, where I plausibly could not. I did the only thing I could think to do – the only thing I really could do. A knot in my stomach formed, as I took a deep breathe, and attempted to meet Helen’s glassy, tear strewn gaze.
“Can I pray for you?”
“Yes.”
So, we prayed together. We prayed for peace and comfort to fill Helen’s life, for hope to be reestablished, and bridges to be rebuilt in her relationships. I asked God to bring someone into her life who would assist her physically and emotionally, during this time of grief. I prayed healing over her eyes and her broken spirit. Most of all, we thanked God for the love and joy Helen’s boyfriend brought into her life. We celebrated his memory together. When I was done, Helen gave me a hug. Overwhelmed, she continued to cry, in between her murmurs of thanks. I assured her it wasn’t necessary, but she was most welcome. As Helen walked away, she turned back, to look at me once more. “Thank you Megan. Bless you. I won’t forget meeting you.”
God knows and sees our troubles always. Yet, He’s perfectly willing to use people to help us, especially when we don’t feel seen. Helen needed to be seen – she needed someone to acknowledge her pain, grieve with her, and also provide joy and comfort. I praise God that He allowed us to cross paths that day, allowing her to be seen. The release of anxiety, the welcoming of hope, the expression of awe in the midst of gratitude...there is no description quite eloquent enough to depict what it’s like when someone is wrapped in the arms of God. I got to witness it that day! I watched Helen’s worry practically melt off her face. Her posture, her attitude, her countenance, all completely changed. Pain practically erased. That is the power of being seen by God.
“I won’t forget meeting you too.”
Minutes later, my friend returned with her uncle. They drove up with a spare tire and a few water bottles. After describing my time with Helen, we decided one flat tire was totally worth it.