“Oww!” I said, followed by a stream of swear words. I threw the ratchet on the ground and brought my now bleeding knuckles to my mouth. Crawling out from under the old car, I sat up and shook my head in total surrender.
The last month had been one defeat after another. We had moved from Salt Lake City to St George, Utah. Before we left the city, my truck had been impounded and because of illegal licensing I could not reclaim it, my wife’s car had died and we had spent most of our savings to buy a 20’ ancient motorhome in which we planned to live, only to find it needed extensive work. Over two week I had done enough repairs to it to make the over 300-mile trip and had also purchase one of the ugliest cars I had ever seen for hundred bucks. In this mean looking caravan we had headed south.
Arriving in St George, we soon found out that several of the RV parks didn’t want our vehicles to grace their beautiful parks. Most places were filled with ‘snowbirds’ rich, retired northerners that spent their winters in the desert warmth that St. George provided. Their rigs were expensive and made our old, tired motorhome look like an ‘Okie’ rig straight out of ‘Grapes of Wrath’. In desperation we had settled into the only park that took in anyone who had enough cash to pay two months in advance and would sign a one-year commitment. Paying for the cheapest space we could, our rig now was set up in #4 alongside other beat up and desperate folks, whose living accommodations looked a lot like ours.
Trying to adjust to our new lifestyle, we found so many things that we needed to accept. Seeing our motorhome did not have a shower, we would need to use the park’s facilities. The problem was that they were old and never cleaned. Fill with mold and mildew and with no heat, winter showers were an experience. Other things were more frightening like hearing gun fire at night and drunken arguments that seemed to be right at the door of our rig, left me feeling our very safety was at risk. Then came insult to injury.
The ugly car, that is what I called it the whole time of ownership, needed to be safety inspected. In Utah before a car is licensed it needs to be inspected. When I took ugly car in, I was told for it to pass the front brake calipers would need to be replaced. Hence, John on the ground, busting his knuckles and knowing life had finally defeated him.
Sitting on the ground, leaned back against the front bumper, I heard a voice say, “Hey son, that car seems to be kicking your behind (not the word used at the time).” I lowered my head and thought, “Just what I needed an ‘armchair mechanic’ to give me advice.” When I looked up, the man was not standing but had gone over to the other side of the vehicle and was looking at the brake assembly. Peering around the car, he said, “I have been pulling these off cars for years.” And without a second thought was grabbing tools and within minutes did what I could not do in hours, the old caliper was out. He winked at me and said, “Just a matter of knowing what you are doing!” He continued to work and soon the job was done. When I offered to pay him, he just shrugged and said. “My young friend, I have seen you and your wife struggle since you moved in. I been living here a long time. I have seen a lot of folks down on their luck. I just wanted you to know you are not alone.” With that he held out his hand, “My name is Joseph P. Ritcher, and I live over in #19 you and your wife come say hi some time that is all the thanks I need.”
I have written many times about the kindness of strangers and how it can change a person’s life. There were several times in my life when I was down. Some of those times people chose to kick me. Some of them were so called Christians. We judge so much by appearances. At the time I am writing about today, it had taken 3 years of living to get from total bankruptcy, living in a tent in Salt Lake City to buying that motorhome. It was all we could afford, and it was old and when we drove it anywhere, we were judged by its appearance. On top of that the ‘ugly car’ I write about was a rusty, mustard yellow Datsun hatchback, with peeling faux wood on the sides. It was ugly for sure, but it was the most dependable car I owned in those lean years. Still we were always judged by its appearance. Because we lived in this old rig and drove that ugly car, we must be undesirable. Have you ever been in this place?
I was that day when Joe P., as I would come to call him, came to the rescue. I felt I was a failure and had brought my wife to a place where our very lives may be in danger. I was ready to give up. But that one good deed, by one good man, changed it all.
God’s Word says this, “If there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother;” (Deuteronomy 15:7) There may be an opportunity today for you to reach out a hand to someone in need. Please, do not judge that person by appearance. Remember how God judges each of us, as he reminded the prophet Samuel “…The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7) May we all look at each other through God’s eyes today.
Blessings and Happy Sabbath,
John
3/1/19
