There but for the Grace of God....

This morning as I rolled up to the Beach for some surf fishing just like I have done a thousand times before I noticed something odd. ?There are a cast of early morning regulars I have seen day after day parked or walking along the beach catching the morning sunrise but this morning something was off.?As I was parking, I noticed a SUV parked a little in front of me with the back and passengers side doors opened.? I looked at the SUV and noticed it was packed to the gills with personal items ect. On the passenger side rear door, I noticed someone sitting on the ground outside the car.?My first thought was it was some surfer kids hanging drinking a cup of joe catching the sunrise.

It’s about 5:30 am and there are other cars around me as well but I’m staring at this SUV with its Doors wide open. ?I got out of my ride to grab my fishing rod and gear out of the back, and I heard HELP ME!!!?HELP ME!!! ?I hear this voice in distress coming from the SUV calling for HELP.

I take a better look at what I though was some kids drinking a cup of Joe to see the voice calling for HELP was an old man that was laying on the ground next to the SUV on the sidewalk.?

I start walking towards the SUV passing by the other parked cars with people inside them on their phones with the windows up and hear this old man calling for HELP and crying and begging me to help him.

I hate to say this but being a city kid and growing up on the streets I have seen plenty of setups etc. in my day. With everything happening in the world I proceeded with caution towards the man and saw he was in a very bad way.

Walking up to him I saw he was holding only a towel and wearing a pair of depends underwear that were now almost off. It was cold out and this man was naked and laying on the ground and he couldn’t get up. With tears in his eyes, he proceeded to tell me he had been on the ground for hours calling for HELP and people walked right past him and did nothing. ?

He was on the ground jammed next to the car with his legs under him and unable to lift himself up because both his shoulders were bad, and he couldn’t pull himself up. I didn’t want to lift him by the arms since his shoulders were shot so I bear hug him and lifted him up.?He was crying and blessing me for helping him and thanked me over and over.?

I gathered his belongings and got him back into his car.?As he opened the driver’s side door, I realized this man is living in his SUV.

I asked him what his name was and if he was living out of his SUV. His name was Dominick, and he confirmed he was living out of his car. Dominick told me he lost everything, no family and has medical issues. With the money he is getting he can’t afford to find a place to live in NJ and has to live in his SUV. ?He blessed me and thanked me over and over again.?HE didn’t ask but I gave him all the money I had in my pocket. He tried to give it back but I shut the car door so he couldn’t.

This man was not a drunk or looking for a handout. He was just looking for HELP so he could get on his own two feet.?I’m blessed that I was there to help him and thankful for it. ?We all fall down but it’s how you get up that really matters. All I said to myself was There but for the Grace of God…..?