We Found a Body Lying in a Field
“There’s a woman’s body lying out in the field!” This is what I heard as I finished reading my Bible yesterday morning. I was staying with friends and volunteering at the Compassion International booth at the Downpour Festival in Great Falls, MT. My friend’s husband, Jake, had rushed into the house to get a cellphone. I dropped the Bible, grabbed my cell phone and rushed out with the others, dialing 911. As we neared the body, I fully expected to begin doing CPR with my friend, Mindy, who works in a hospital and knows CPR well.
It was a young teenager, flat on her back with an open cell phone beside her head. Another man had tried to awaken her to no avail. Jake had tried as well, but she was unresponsive. Bernice and Mindy sat down beside her, checked her pulse and began talking to her. Finally, she looked up in a stupor and tried to get her bearings. As we questioned her she began to talk to us and eventually sat up, but none of her answers made any sense. Gradually, she began to become more coherent and could carry on a conversation, although she was not sure why she’d spent the night out in a field on her back. Bernice was so sweet to her — saying things like, ”I’m a mother myself, so I can’t help but be concerned about you and care about getting you some help. Where is your mother?” The girl tried to reach her mother on my cell phone, but there was no answer.
When the police arrived (for the EMT’s had decided from our report that she didn’t need an ambulance after all), they began to question her as well. Sadly, she said, “I’m just a drunk who got lost out here last night and couldn’t find my way home. Are you going to charge me with an MIP?” She was 18 years old.
The police took statements from us and offered to take her home. When we returned to the house, we stood in a circle and prayed for her. We couldn’t help but think of the stark contrast between this precious, troubled girl and the teens that were raising their hands in worship to the music of Jeremy Camp. We thought of the ones that were rushing to our table to sponsor needy children.
We felt she most likely had a drug-induced condition, because we didn’t smell alcohol, and it had taken her so long to respond to us and to gain any coherency. We even wondered if she’d been raped out on that hill, because she was buttoning up her pants as she sat up. We wondered how a girl could be out all night and not have a parent reporting her missing, or even in range of a phone call.
We thought of the teens I wrote about here that we’d met the weekend before in Billings — the ones rushing out in an ambulance to minister to the homeless. Totally unexpected, we’d had our own “EMT Situation” as well, except that this one almost literally came to us rather than the other way around. We felt God had allowed this to happen right then and there so that we could lift her up (literally) and be praying for her.
What was my scripture that I’d abruptly dropped on the bed that morning? “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” Ecclesiastes 4:10 (ESV)
Will you please join us in prayer for this young girl? We have no way to minister to her now, except by our prayers. But given the fact that God placed her in our pathway, we believe He is reaching out to her to lift her up with His strong hand. What would you pray for a girl in this situation that you know you’ll never see again in this world?
You’re so right Abbie. Thanks for the prayer suggestions. These are all excellent!
August 24, 2008 at 1:03 am
I came across your blog by way of Compassion Dave’s blog. I just read this post and what a scary situation for all of you to be involved in. Towards the end when you asked if we would pray, I will admit, I chuckled a bit. I just wrote a post about praying for others and then not doing it. I had to honestly ask myself if I would pray. I want to let you know-I WILL be praying.
How can we pray for her you ask? I pray for her friends, her parents, anyone that can reach her. I pray that God will soften her heart to the ones who come. And I pray that you (just as you did with her) will always have your eyes and hearts open to help others like her.
August 23, 2008 at 2:59 pm
It all reminds me that there are different kinds of poverty (and sometimes) the saddest type is the kind people choose to submit themselves to. I am not saying that this child falls into this category, but that the scenario brings it to my mind. Nonetheless, she is in my prayers.
August 19, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Emotions? Yes — sadness, questions, feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. We do need to keep praying for her — thanks so much.
August 19, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Oh my goodness! I can’t even imagine what emotions you guys must have been going through in that situation much less imagine the situation the girl was in. I will remember in my prayers.
August 19, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Thank you so much for all of you who are praying for this teenager. I know there are many more out there, but God specifically brought this one to our attention.
August 19, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Wow…she’s in my prayers!
August 19, 2008 at 11:34 am
wow
August 18, 2008 at 9:03 pm
Heartbreaking – truly. I often look at teens and young women around me and my heart breaks. I hear so many stories about drinking, drugs, and letting themselves be used by men.
As much as I want to – I can’t fill that hole in their heart. Only God can do that. All we can do is live like your scripture passage – being in community with others. Helping them up and pointing them to the truth of God’s love.
I will be praying for this girl
August 18, 2008 at 8:43 pm
Wow Julie, what a story. I’d be concerned that someone had given her GHB or Ketamine. Where I work, she would have at least had her blood sugar checked – Firefighter EMT’s have different policies and procedures everywhere, so I’m certain they followed their protocol, but an ER visit is prudent after a period of unconsciousness. I’m glad you, Mindy & Bernice were there. She was in good hands!
August 18, 2008 at 8:29 pm