Terrified.

By the grace of God, a life was saved.

Today on my way to work, I saw a man beginning to climb and shuffle his way along a fence, dangling over I-75. The car in front of me was stopped, and the driver was interacting with the man. I couldn't hear what the driver said, but as I was rolling down my window, I heard the man say, "I am going to kill myself."

I was shaking, sitting in my car, and began to dial "9-1-1". This was my first time ever typing those numbers into a phone. It felt like an eternity of silence had passed before I started to hear the ringing noise on the other end. After several rings, it went to an automated voice stating, behind a fuzzy, hard-to-hear connection, "You have reached 911 Emergency of Detroit, no one is available to take your call at this time, please remain on hold....". In disgust, I hung up. I looked up to notice the driver, a woman, had gotten out of her car and approached the sidewalk opposite of the man hanging on the fence. I immediately turned off my car and ran out to join her.

We were pleading with the man to come down. I told him this is not what God wants for him. I asked him his name, his name is Randy. I told Randy that we would help him and that we care about him. He said that no one cares, and that if he didn't kill himself, "they" were going to kill him. The woman asked if who was going to kill him? Randy stated, "the voices".

The woman asked him if he had any children. He began to tear and said, "yes". She told him that he can't do this, there are people that care and need him. I began to talk to him about God and pray aloud for Randy. The woman also began to pray. We held our hands up to him, crying. He just kept saying he wanted to die, and the woman kept telling him the Spirit had us there for a reason for him. We begged for Randy to walk the other way. In midst of all of this, two things had happened: the woman had gotten a hold of 911 while helping me speak to Randy, and two other men had joined the scene (I'm not sure at what point they showed up) but they began trying to talk to him as well to tell him that we would find him help.

Thanks to God, many police showed up along with some sort of professional/negotiator, a cop had blocked the right lane of the freeway so that in case he were to let go it would not be harm to other people below (imagine if he fell and someone had hit him...and what that would do to that person as well, mentally), and an ambulance. The police sort of took over speaking to Randy. I hugged the other woman and asked her name...Tia. I told Tia I would be praying for her as well, and thanked her for praying with me earlier. She thanked me for giving her the courage to. We were both so shaken; Tia went to sit in her car but I remained nearby. I didn't want Randy to think we had just left. The other two men also stood back, by me.

The cops kept telling him they could get him help. That they could get him the medicine he needs, that no one was going to hurt him. Probably about 3 minutes later, what felt like agonizing hours, Randy climbed over the fence and collapsed on the ground.

I somberly walked back to my car. Tia was still in hers, and I grabbed her hand. She blessed me. I sat for a moment, with tears in my eyes. I praised God for the timing of everything. That Tia and I were there for Randy. That I left my house 10 minutes later than I had planned. I'm not sure what God's plan is for Randy, but I know and believe it's not our job to decide when our life is done. I have no words to describe what I'm feeling. I had nothing to do with any of that, and I hope I can use this to claim God's mercy and grace. I am also terrified because He used me. I am grateful, but scared. My role in His story is becoming evident to me, and I am afraid to face what else He has in store, but I know I can handle it because He is with me. It's not even me who does anything It is Him.

Please pray for Randy, his family, Tia, the two men who were with me (I didn't get their names, wish I could have) and the Detroit Police Department. I don't know what else to say except God is gracious and good. Let it be known that He works through all His people, and His timing is perfect.