Washing Just One Foot

I had just left Mass and started walking down the hill along West End from the Cathedral to the Bookstore. Passing the Hampton Inn, I looked up in anticipation of crossing the small street into our parking lot and I spotted him. He was in a wheelchair pushing forward with a hand on each wheel and one free foot on the ground. Honestly, I had just received Jesus and already had the thought that I did not want this encounter.

A young couple had pulled into the lot and stopped right below the sign on the side of the building. They both got out of the van and the man walked around, kissed the woman as she put on her backpack, then he moved to get back into the driver’s side. The man in the wheelchair called out, “Can you push me?” I heard the driver say, “I have my one-year-old in the car and I can’t leave.” Dang it! Now I’m up. I asked the driver what the man wanted. “A push across the street. I have a two ….” I interrupted the man, “I heard you.” I was secretly angry that he had an excuse. “A push across this street?” I pointed to the extremely busy street thinking I’d talk him out of crossing the seven lanes before us. I walked closer to him and recognized him immediately. “Not there. Just that small street over there so I can get up to the light where I can cross safely.” He pointed to the side street and hill I’d just come down. I got behind his wheelchair and started to push. “How are you going to get up that hill?” He pulled his elbows back, gripped the wheels and began pushing them forward faster saying nothing but fully expecting me to keep pushing. “You’re that woman from the bookstore aren’t you?” “Yes.” That was all. Just a confirmation.

As we peaked the hill, I saw three young men that I recognized from Mass and the store. One said, “Hey. You two headed for coffee?” I looked him square in the face as in, “don’t give him any ideas” and said, “No. Just getting him across the street.” The young man said, “We’re going that way. We’ll give him a push.” Feeling bad that I was trying to do the absolute minimum, wash a single foot instead of both, I said, “Are you sure? I am okay.” “No. You get back to work. We’ll take him.” Oh Thank You Lord! I had the feeling that once we crossed the street there would be more. As I walked down the hill, I saw fire engines coming toward me and wondered if the guys had already crossed. Looking back, I saw they had not moved and would have to wait through another series of lights as the emergency had used their turn to cross. Secretly glad to be off the mission, an image popped into my head of the scripture scene where the man told Jesus that he could never get down for a healing while the waters were stirred up. I didn’t quite get my guy all the way into the water either. I got him just to the edge and left the rest to someone else. So close to something fully amazing!

Two thoughts about this encounter that I’d like to share. One, it takes all of us to help heal this world, to get those so deeply wounded spiritually and physically the help they need. It takes us all to spread love and hope, to spread the power of belief in Jesus Christ, to wash feet, to serve one another. Second, God gives second chances and although I left this opportunity unfinished, maybe just washing one foot and not both, I know that I will do better next time. I could feel the nudge that I did not finish the race; that I did not get the man to what he really needed. I was given a mission and did not follow through completely but I did something. I got him to someone who would finish. Next time, maybe I’ll be that someone.