Looking For Help

I remember a bright warm sunny Spring day in 1968. Though, I can not recall ever going anywhere by myself. I do remember knowing there was something strange going on that I didn't understand. I felt it in the air that day. At the age of seven and a half, I was a skinny little child with a head of white hair. Pretty much a quiet one that loved her popsicles.

Usually, a blue and white Carousel Popsicle truck with a man sitting and steering it from the middle would drive down the hill of our street, ringing his attached loud brass bell by hand. We children would all scream and yell the "popsicle man is coming"! Hoping for some compassion and charity from our parents. As he got close enough, we would then jump up and wrap our arms around the poles that held the cone shape top above him. In his frustration, he would shoo us off like a bunch of troublesome fleas! Desperate and laughing, we would take our defeat and fall to the ground! But for some reason, on this day… he didn't show up.

I would walk to the small corner grocery store in our neighborhood and, sitting alone on the store curb, I begin eating the sweet cold popsicle treat I had just purchased.

All of a sudden, there was a sharp blow to my back from someone's foot! It took my breath away! Gasping in terror, I fell over onto the hot pavement. I turned around to look for help, and to my surprise, an angry young black man stood over me, a teenager at best, describing him. I saw fierce hatred for the first time in my little life, in the eyes of that hurting young man. A bloody hole was left in my back, along with another pain and confession to my heart.

This was the Spring of the year... Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King's life was taken in my city. Many years have passed and the child now a woman decreeing love has won! Through a man who hung on a Cross. Where forgiveness and mercy has become our portion! And we who love Him, who are loved by Him, must herald this truth...HE is our only Help!

Looking to Him" I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come? My help comes from the LORD, Who made the heavens and earth". Psalms 121: 1-2

"How lovely on the mountains, are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation, and says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices, they shout joyfully together; for they will see with their own eyes, when the Lord restores Zion!" Isaiah 52: 7-8