There we were, walking past some shops while on holidays, when we saw a girl on a seat at the edge of the footpath. She was quite well-dressed and attractive, but what drew our attention to her was that she was crying loudly. She would stop for a while, then start again—it was distressing to witness.
I hesitated, unsure what to do. What could have happened to cause her so much grief? It seemed bizarre to wail and sob in such a public place—perhaps she had long-term mental and emotional issues and found it hard to stay grounded in reality. Whatever the reason, she was obviously in great need.
Yet I did not know if it was wise to approach her—and what could I offer anyway? We were strangers in the area and unfamiliar with what local help would be available to her. I hated to leave her as she was, but in the end, we decided to move on, hoping there was someone else nearby who knew her history and could assist her.
After reaching the nearby waterfront and looking around for a while, we headed back to our car along the opposite side of the road from where the distraught girl had been. As we did, I looked to see if she had moved on—but no. There she was, still wailing and still alone.
‘Perhaps I should go over and talk to her,’ I said to my husband. ‘Maybe I can offer to pray for her at least.’
He agreed, so I went to cross the road. But just as I did, I saw a salesperson come out of a nearby shop and walk towards the girl. I hesitated again, wondering if I should join them or wait until the girl was alone again. But then the saleslady sat down with the girl and stayed there for some time, trying to talk to her. Yet the girl seemed to cringe away from her, as if lost in a world of grief and pain that could not be shared.
What should I do? I did not want to be like the religious leaders in the story of the Good Samaritan who crossed over to the other side of the road and ignored the person needing help (Luke 10). But we had to keep moving, so I decided to pray for this girl right where I was. And I continued praying for her after we left. Then the story in Matthew’s Gospel came to mind where Jesus heals the centurion’s servant, even though this servant was not even present (8:5-13). Just say the word, the centurion tells Jesus, and my servant will be healed. Could Jesus do the same for this girl?
I don’t know if I should have been bolder in approaching this girl. But I do know this. God can handle it when we pray bold prayers. In fact, we are encouraged to do exactly that:
So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Hebrews 4:16 NLT
May God continue to heal this poor girl. And may I learn to be bolder in sharing God’s love and grace with others however I can.
Jo-Anne Berthelsen's Blog 
I know the feeling Jo. I have holidayed in Melbourne a few times and was concerned about the homeless people we saw. I wanted to stop and chat but lacked the courage. Then I made eye contact with a girl and couldn’t walk past. Her name was Chloe. We chatted for a few minutes. I didn’t offer money but did ask if I could buy her anything. She gratefully asked for some socks and tampons and I added some food. When I returned with these items, she had done me a drawing, which to this day is in my “special” draw. My heart aches for her and the multitudes like her. May we indeed pray and do what we can to share God’s love and grace. Thanks for sharing Jo. xx
Oh Janelle, that’s such a beautiful story and a good challenge to us all–thanks for sharing it here. I think you responded in a wonderful, caring way and I’m sure Chloe was so grateful. It’s hard to know what to do that will help the most in these situations, isn’t it–but you certainly did what you could, so well done!