What Would You Do?

Watch this (it's NOT gory)...





What inhibits us from coming to the assistance of people in need? Having experienced this first hand recently, I have learned that when I rely on my REACTION to something like this, I will fail...just like the people in the video.

A month ago, I came upon a fatal automobile accident. Both vehicles were grossly mangled; one was even upside down. As I exited my vehicle I saw others running to the assistance of two individuals who were ejected from their vehicle. I approached the vehicle that was upside down and saw a hand reaching out a broken window. I got down to assess their condition. Both the driver and passenger, husband and wife, were alert with only minor injuries, just hanging upside down (no one had a knife to cut the seat belt.) Since they were "OK," I defaulted to "Good Samaritan" mode and gave my attention to cleaning debris out of the road and gathering some valuables that were scattered across the road. Once the emergency personnel arrived and I had given them the valuables I had gathered, I left. Then it hit me...

Not once had I made an attempt to comfort this couple. I didn't ask their name. I didn't stay with them until help arrived. I didn't offer to call anyone. I just left...

Why?

I have concluded that I failed in this instance because I wasn't prepared. I relied solely on my REACTION and not a RESPONSE. What's the difference? A response is premeditated. It is planned out in advance. It is having a plan.

This event was a defining moment in my life.  I seriously doubt that I'll find myself in a similar situation and react the way I did that afternoon.  And if you find yourself in a such a scenario, I hope you'll learn from my mistake and be better prepared than I was.

Brian Davis' $411,000.00 Question

Brian Davis had a hard conversation with himself on Sunday afternoon. In a playoff situation at the Verizon Heritage PGA Tournament, he held the lead and found himself in a classic battle of good vs evil. You could almost see the little angel on one shoulder and the little devil on the other. In the center of this colossal battle lay a small piece of grass.


As Davis found his ball lying among some rocks, sand, grass and reeds, he knew he had a challenging shot. As he swung his iron through the sand, his ball lifted to the green and stopped a few feet from the pin. By most standards, it was a great shot. This is when the battle began. As soon as he finished his swing, Davis knew he had a decision to make...a decision that no other person would contest...a decision of character. Some define character as "who you are when no one else is looking." This was a defining moment for Brian Davis.


On the takeaway, Davis' club made contact with a blade of grass, or as rule 13.4 calls it, "a loose impediment." It happened so fast, that the only person who knew it was Davis. The consequence for this infraction was one stroke and  would cost him the win...his first win. And so, the battle ensued: "Do I confess my mistake or do I keep my mouth shut?" Davis did the right thing and called in a PGA official for a ruling. And doing so he forfeited not only the win, but $411,000.00 (Winning purse was $1,026,000; Davis received $615,000.)


What's the point? Proverbs 22:1 tells us, "A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold." Years from now most will not remember who won the 2010 Verizon Heritage Tournament. But for weeks and possibly years to come, people will refer to Davis' example as a model for honesty. His name and integrity will be remembered long after his winnings are forgotten.


Are you hiding something that no one knows but you? Do you desire to have a "good name?"