My heart is in turmoil and I am full of regret.
I work in the exterior grounds of an apartment complex, and earlier this evening a kid, 10-12 years old, was standing in the rain shivering without a jacket, as night was falling, and saying “it’s so cold. I have to walk home to {area app. 1.5 miles away}”. I was on work autopilot and it took me a few minutes to fully process how wrong this situation was. I circled the block to look for him but he was gone. I knocked at the apartment he had came out of and asked if they knew him, and was told, oh, he must have come in with my daughter’s friend but she says she doesn’t really know him, I don’t know who he is, wasn’t there some other adult with him?” Not that I saw. I just saw the adults in that apartment and another one who walked by with an umbrella all act as if this child was a ghost, barely acknowledging him. … And I did the same.
Now this shivering young person is haunting me and I am filled with regret that I did nothing to help. I am not sure what the correct thing was to do. Please pray for this young person. Please pray that despite the cold shoulder he received from others tonight he will not lose faith. Pray that he will be warm and safe and that no one will harm him.
And please pray for me to receive insight so that I know what the right thing is to do next time and I do not hesitate.
Thank you