A few years ago, my friend and I stood outside my gate talking. It was somewhere between 7:45 pm and 8:45 pm. During the conversation, a little girl, about 3-4 years old, stormed out of her yard and into the road, crying. It seemed she was sleepwalking.
Her house was at a four-way intersection, two houses from mine. Seeing the danger, we ran toward her, and as we got closer, she moved toward my friend, who, without missing a beat, said, “Go to her,” and pointed her toward me.
I held the child and tried my best to comfort her while we sought her parents. No one was at the house, but thankfully, at that moment, the neighbor who lived directly in front of the little girl’s house arrived in a taxi. She provided details and other assistance until the situation was resolved.
When my friend and I got back to my gate, I asked him why he had refused to hold the child when she ran towards him. He told me that while he loves little children, he does not take chances with them. For some strange reason, I never forgot that experience.
Here are the lessons learned that evening:
- Do not leave small children unattended
We were told that the child’s mother would often put the child to bed and then leave to talk at a nearby shop. Whether this is true or not, it is not my focus; just do not leave, especially small children, if at all possible.
(I wouldn’t even say close the door, because the situation could have been a fire, and the child needed to get out).
The situation could have been very grave and costly, because the child was so small; a vehicle could have come across the intersection and hit her.
- Assess situations quickly and act accordingly
This may be controversial, but if you are in a situation similar to my friend’s, let the woman take care of the little girl.
What if the reason the child was crying was that someone, a family member or a stranger, knowing the alleged practice of the mother, molested the child? If my friend held her, his fingerprints would be on her.
Remember that some children’s memories are distorted, especially under duress.
What if, by handling her, he were pointed out in an identification parade? There are so many what-ifs, and the best way to avoid such situations is to assess the problem quickly and act accordingly.
For those of you who are saying that females molest children, too, I would simply say that is true, but the statistics show men are way more inclined to sexually assault children sexually.
- You are where you are for a reason
My friend and I thought we were just talking at my gate, but God used us in this situation to possibly save the little girl’s life. The little girl probably will never remember that night, but we do.
God has done so many things in our lives that we don’t remember. He remembers them all.
Let God use you for a reason today, and remember: He used someone —and will use others — to save you.
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