Lessons on the Road 7

Chat#7: Help Along the Way

I put about 25,000 kilometres on my vehicle each year. That has been enough to get me into every Canadian province and 23 states in the U.S.A. Along the way I’ve discovered that there are many kind-hearted people who eagerly come alongside to help when a driver is in trouble. One of my most memorable is the day our family set out for vacation towing a boat (which was loaded with luggage) on a boat trailer. Driving through a patch of construction the road was so rough and the load so heavy that the trailer axel broke in two. The road crew saw our predicament and came to our aid. They untied my boat, emptied its contents, lifted it off the trailer and turned the trailer upside down. They then came alongside with a pickup that carried a portable welder. In a matter of minutes they had the axel repaired and then put the boat and luggage back on the trailer for me. The only thing they would accept was my deep-hearted thanks.

 As we go through life, there are times when we break down. The road is too rough. The load too heavy. We are stopped and can’t go anywhere. Then God sends our way a person or persons who come alongside to help. At such times we can protest and say no, we can handle things ourselves or we can admit our need and let that person minister to us. Sometimes it’s a matter of simply sharing the burden. Sometimes it requires a complete repair job. The men who repaired my boat trailer were concerned, qualified, and willing to help. I would have been a fool to turn down their help. When God sends someone into your life who can give you real help in your time of need, don’t turn them away, but smile and say, “Thanks, I appreciate that.”

Lessons from a Sailboat 1

Lesson 1: Different Kinds of Boats

Over the years I have ridden in, borrowed, rented, and owned a number of different kinds of boats. I recall rowboats, and a small punt, both of which I rowed to get anywhere. Needless to say I did not go far in these. There was also a canoe, which required almost as much work at the rowboats. Then there were several small aluminum fishing boats to which I could attach an outboard motor. More fun than a rowboat and I could go farther. And then there were the sailboats. More fun than the aluminum boats and I could stay out overnight and even cook on board. But each boat had a purpose. How boring and impractical life on the water would be if every boat was alike.

The same is true of our lives. We are all different from each other. Each of us has talents and abilities unique to us. We each have different personalities, differnt looks, and different temperments. It would be as unfair to compare ourselves with others as it would be to compare a canoe to a sailboat. As there are different kinds of boats, so too there are different kinds of people. We should not expect others to be like us. And we should not try to be like others. We should learn to appreciate ourselves as part of God's Creation and seek to find our purpose and place in life.

1 Corinthians 12:6
There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.