Tow Truck Blessing 5/15/24

Years ago, 2014 to be exact. How do I know? It’s the year Ohio State won the National Championship and we were on our way to Kansas City to watch the semi-final against Alabama with my sister. (Come to my office, Ricky cartooned this memory for me.) Time is about 4PM December 31, New Years Eve and in the middle of nowhere Iowa the car lost all power. We had just passed an exit about a mile and a half back with a single country gas station. I hiked back, got the number of a tow driver, called for help:  “head back to your car, I’m feeding the cattle right now. I’ll come when I’m done.” He did, and squeezing the five us in his cab he towed us to a friend mechanic. Took two minutes to diagnose: bad alternator. Everything was closed for New Years and the closest motel was 30 mile away. However, (and this is where God comes in) The mechanic’s wife was assistant manager at Auto Zone. She went to the store, picked up an alternator and we were on the road in less than an hour. We paid and tipped and made it to KC for the second half. There’s more to the story but that’s the highlights. Jesus had a Habit of Heart Compassion and so John calls us to the same habit of Jesus. 1 John 3:16-18 16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. I learned what the habit of compassion can be December 31, 2014. Maybe we can, I can show, teach some too. PK