offer

she was on a pretty nice street.  the load she was carrying was unwieldy, not unlike the one above, though with a trailer drooping behind.  she wasn't heading home from a grocery store bike trip.  she seemed to be carrying her life around with her.
i was on a bike ride home, via the grocery store, with a kid trailing behind.
i passed her by, watching her on the side of this busy, fancy street.  the contents of her front basket had toppled all over the bike lane leaving a cacophony of items strewn across the shoulder of this major thoroughfare.
i biked right past her.  even as i did, i considered biking over.  the traffic light signaled for me to go, and off we pedaled.  but that earlier consideration of stopping stuck with me.  there was something inside of me that was a sweet while strong offer to not bike past, but to see what's happening.
i thought about so many places that jesus had shown me that passing by people, letting them and their struggles (and joys) go unnoticed is not his thing.  i remember all the examples in the word of jesus and his companions going straight to the least popular (societally) and least understood and seeking to accept and understand them.  i thought about the opportunities i have to shepherd my little one into making choices that don't just benefit us or our schedule, but that place other people as priorities.  nap time could be delayed, groceries would be picked up in good time, every thing would be fine.
i also thought about the stress i experience when i have heavy loads (on bikes or in life) and the weight of those can drain me not just temporarily, but can really penetrate beyond the moment of struggle.  and i thought about how much any offer for help or companionship in those moments can create positive ripple effects.
so, i informed my little companion that we had an opportunity and were going to go a different direction than usual.  i let him know what i saw and that we had the opportunity to not just pass by, but to intentionally connect.
we turned the corner and parked our bike (contraption) and offered relationship or help or whatever we could.  the woman had made some progress in the few minutes it took to get around the block.  and while she didn't accept our offer, we did exchange a few words.
and i hope the weight was lifted a bit.  and i hope that listening to the invitation brought some light and perspective for her and my kid and me.
and i hope the next time i consider something that seems to come from beyond the material realm, that i'll listen and act before going the long way around the block.