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 on the Road 6

Towing a Trailer

 Over the years I have owned and towed a number of trailers, starting with a fold down, soft-top camper, then graduating to a fold down, fibreglass-top camper, then moving up to a fold down, hard-top camper. Eventually I acquired a real (albeit it small, as in tiny) hard side house trailer complete with washroom, electricity, and stove. In addition I have owned several boat trailers over the years. I have towed said trailers from Newfoundland to British Columbia. I have learned several things—they can be dangerous, and they can be a strain on your vehicle, they definitely slow you down, but they can also be fun.

 In life we sometimes hear people referring to the baggage that they drag with them. Like a trailer, they are referring to the things that are behind them. Tennyson in his poem Ulysses wrote, “I am a part of all that I have met.” Every person we’ve met and every experience we’ve had has added to who we are. Some have put a strain on our life. Some have slowed us down or even stopped us in our tracks. Some have added much pleasure to our life. Wisdom is knowing what to hitch to our lives to make the journey more complete.

 Joshua 18:6

“Go in peace. Your journey has the Lord’s approval.”