Yesterday I was sitting in church when I noticed that the couple in front of me was in some sort of distress. The husband was leaning limply forward and his wife was shaking his shoulders, trying to get him to "wake up" and look at her or respond in some way. I did what many of us do - initially ignoring the situation, trying not to "get involved", and so forth, wondering if even he was just bored by the sermon and had dozed off!
Quickly I sensed her panic and I leaned forward to ask if she needed help. She vigorously nodded yes, and I summoned an usher. I asked if her husband had low blood sugar issues (he was acting a lot like I do when my sugar is low and I'm about to faint) and she said "sometimes". I grabbed the protein bar I'd slipped in my purse that morning (knowing my sugar was bound to crash 2 - 3 hours after I ate breakfast) and gave it to her. A woman popped up beside me and volunteered that she was a nurse, and began to help the man. Another woman in front of the couple turned around and said that she too was a nurse, and she began to check his pulse. Without thinking, I reached forward and began to rub the wife's back. Eventually some men carried the husband out of the sanctuary, still in his chair, and they called 911 and took him off for medical attention.
As I sat there replaying the situation in my mind, I thought of all the odd ways in which the context of this situation constructed itself. I wasn't feeling great that morning and almost opted not to go to church. But I went, and this couple had turned around to warmly greet me as I was sitting there waiting for the service to begin, probably looking a little unsure and out of place. I believe this sort of behavior establishes some sort of subconscious bond between two humans, when one reaches out to another with no hidden agenda or motive, other than to welcome them. This might have led me to react more quickly than usual when I noticed they were in distress. This probably made my inhibitions melt away when my gut said to reach out and physically comfort the woman.
I thought about how often I forget to pack a snack for my hypoglycemic moments, but that morning I hadn't forgotten, and he'd been able to use it, and maybe it helped him a little. I thought of the proximity of those 2 nurses who were able to offer medical assistance and triage the situation.
How much of life is due to chance, to freewill, to destiny? I can't say, as I believe there is no clearcut answer, but rather a mix of those things operating together. But it fascinates me to think about how certain people and moments seem to align at times to work toward the good of the universe. I know there have been moments I've narrowly missed being in a car accident, and have thought back to what caused my car to be ahead or behind the site of the crash. It just makes me slow down for a moment to think about the intention of the universe and the role we play within it.
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