The ___ Samaritan

The Good Samaritan is Christ's most powerful parable on love (IMHO).. While Christ taught what the Samaritan did, there are a few things not in the story that are worth noting. While most often called 'good', I wonder if these other labels might have applied:

The Active Samaritan
Mr. Samaritan (Mr. S) was not sitting at home playing game cube or watching the tube. He was out and about. With spring on us, I'm making a point to GET OUT!!

The Undercommitted Samaritan
Mr. S had time to stop to help the injured man. Too often I am maxed out, my calendar booked top to bottom, or just simply in a rush to complete the many 'urgent' things in my life. Do I have time to stop for someone who needs my aid? Undercommit, overdeliver...

The Observant Samaritan
Mr. S was not so caught up in his own little world, with its challenges and issues, that he did not notice the man in the ditch. How often my head is full to the brim with the things going on in MY LIFE that I completely MISS that man in the ditch.

The Git-R-Done Samaritan
Mr. S did not go back and diagram the perfect rescue operation. He used what was at his disposal and got the man some help. Call it analysis paralysis, form over function... We need less thinking, more action.

The Flexible Samaritan
Mr. S did not go for a walk looking for someone to rescue. Often I'm most open to serving when I want to serve, but less open when I have my sights on other things. Sure, I'll serve Sunday morning, but don't take my Saturday afternoon from me. Not sure if God keeps stats on these things, but I'm willing to bet that He most often needs my help when I'm NOT in 'serve mode'. Like Mr. S, I'll also bet that God drops the people He wants me to love in my path..

The Short-Order Samaritan
Mr. S did not adopt the injured man and take care of him the rest of his life. He did what he needed to do and moved on. While there are clearly a few life-long love assignments, I believe that most of the 'aid' He wants us to give is in short doses: "...fix him up, get him to shelter...". Each day we should be on the lookout for the short dose of love God needs from us.