Last week, a story broke about an emergency dispatcher’s lack of compassion for a caller who was drowning in her car. Debbie Smith was on her morning paper route in Fort Smith, Arkansas when she drove into a flooded area. When she dialed 911, the dispatcher immediately sent rescue personnel in her direction and stayed on the line with the frightened woman for the next twenty minutes.
The dispatcher assured her that help was coming and to stay calm. As the water rose in her car, however, Smith began to panic and called out for mercy and help. Incredulously, the dispatcher scolded her for her stupidity in getting into this situation. She admonished her that this might cause her to think twice before doing such a foolish thing again. Sadly, Ms. Smith drowned before help could reach her and her phone went silent.
All who have heard of this incident are shocked by the cold-hearted response of the dispatcher. How could anyone speak so heartlessly to someone in such a desperate situation? It’s heartbreaking to think that the last words the poor drowning woman heard were those of disgust and sarcasm instead of compassion and understanding.
To her defense, the dispatcher had likely responded appropriately many times to suffering callers and probably had no idea this incident would end in death. It was after all, her last day on the job as she had resigned to move on to something else. Nevertheless, her lack of pity violates a sense of decency most all seem to hold for those who are dying.
As I’ve thought about this incident, however, I have been convicted as well. How often have I looked at someone in a tough spot and dismissed all feeling because of their own foolish actions that brought on their misfortune? They may not have driven into deep water but they might have persisted in an unhealthy habit that led to their illness or misery. Or maybe their poor money management caused their homelessness and hunger.
Although we might never respond so cruelly to someone dying in fear, we have all probably looked down our noses at individuals who have “made their beds.” We’ve mentally condemned those who have made poor life choices and who are now suffering the consequences, failing to remember our own bad choices that God’s grace has erased.
Many times, others have not had the same education, experiences, and upbringing that we have benefited from and their ignorance has resulted in their mistakes. In other cases, individuals have made the best decisions they could under their circumstances and things still went awry. It’s possible that Ms. Smith either didn’t see the water or didn’t anticipate its depth. Perhaps she did but had never been told “Turn around, don’t drown.” In the end, people are suffering and as Jesus’s followers, we ought to copy His mercy and love and reach out to help in whatever ways we can.
Ultimately, we’ve all made foolish choices in disobeying God and going our own ways. We’ve all done things that deserve punishment and pain. Thankfully, instead of scolding us and letting us drown in our misery, He not only had compassion but sent His own Son to rescue us. Through His death Jesus suffered our punishment and saved us from the rising waters. And He got here in time to save us!
We, however, have to accept His help and allow Him to pull us to spiritual safety. He will forgive our sins if we ask Him to, but we then should make better choices going forward. Reading and obeying His Word provide the best route to keep us out of sin’s deep waters and spare us much pain.
As we reflect on the obvious callousness of the Arkansas dispatcher, may it convict us of our own tendency to condemn others for their foolish choices. And may it remind us of God’s great grace in saving us in spite of our stupidity and disobedience.
Thanking Him, George