He Was Always the Helper. Then He Needed a Good Samaritan | Dave Swan

Dave Swan grew up a little rough around the edges in Rose Park, Utah. He still remembers moving to a new neighborhood as a kid and discovering that carrying a switchblade to gym class wasn't quite as normal there as he'd assumed. But another childhood moment stayed with him for a very different reason. Sitting beside his mother at the dedication of their church building, seven-year-old Dave felt something he couldn't explain. His mother leaned down and told him, “David, don't ever forget this feeling.” Dave says that moment became a reference point throughout his life as he learned to recognize what he believes to be spiritual guidance. Years later, that faith would become especially meaningful during a trip to Lake Powell with his wife, Cindy. Their boat struck a submerged reef. Dave, who had already been feeling ill, became progressively weaker until he could barely move. The man accustomed to being “the provider, the muscle, the big guy” suddenly couldn't get himself and his wife home. And then people started showing up. A family abandoned their own boating plans to tow them. Two men helped at the dock. A stranger stopped his truck when he saw Dave struggling up a ramp. Later, when Dave could no longer move his legs, a caravan of travelers pulled over. People helped Cindy get to the hospital, cared for their truck and boat, and helped them get home. One after another after another. That night, after everything had settled, Dave found himself praying words he hadn't expected: “God, thank you for the experience that we went through.” Dave had never been one to ask for help. And somewhere in those 24 hours, a story he'd known for years began to look different. He'd spent a lifetime thinking about the Good Samaritan. He'd never spent much time thinking about what it meant to be the one who needed him. In this conversation, Dave and Rivers talk about faith, the experiences that shape us, the pride that can make receiving difficult, and what can happen when life puts us in a position we never expected to occupy. A question to take with you: When has someone shown up for you at a time when you couldn't do it on your own? And what did it require of you to let them? Pull up a chair. www.thegrandpachannel.com