It was Monday morning. At last I would get a day to work on the “raised panel and rail” chair-railing at our Austinville, PA Church. Since we had no evening appointments, I would be able to work into the evening hours. Better yet, it was raining –a great day to work indoors. Gloria (Mrs. Marple) and I were rejoicing at our good fortune as we ate breakfast at Troy Lunch; they have the best steak and cheese omelet in the country.
Breakfast finished, we headed for the church. On the way into town we noticed some fellows by the side of the road with a large white Ford 350 pickup truck hauling a tandem-wheeled trailer. We made our way around them, opened the church and got started. Soon, Teddi Sickler arrived to help Gloria paint panels. It was going to be a really wonderful day of great progress doing something I love to do.
I had already installed three panels when Gloria came to tell me that there was a man at the door. He was soaking wet and wanted to borrow a phone book. After locating one, I returned to work. Upon returning the phone book, the man asked if I knew how to call a taxi? As it turned out, he was one of three men from Mount Airy, North Carolina working at putting up carports in our area. The men were Hispanic, speaking both Spanish and English. By then, we had determined that the transmission had gone out of their truck; it would only go backward. My next hours were dedicated to calling U-haul people, bus stations and garages as the morning made its way to lunch-time. Nothing was working out. Like their truck, we could only go backward. By then, Gloria had lunch ready for the six of us. We were running out of options. Of course, Mount Airy was the set for “Mayberry” of Andy Griffith, Barney Fife fame. The men knew all the historic places, so I suggested that we call Wally’s Garage and have them send Goober Pyle north with the tow truck. At least it was good for a laugh!
I arrived back at the church after six; Teddi and Gloria were still there. I went to the church office to check on the phone number the men had given me. The name next to the number was JESUS. It wasn’t hard to hear Jesus saying to his disciples “I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Matt. 25:35). Then the clincher; “When did we do that?” Jesus said, “In as much as you did it to the least of these, you did it to me” (Matt. 25:40). People name their children after those they want them to be like. The young man must have wonderful parents; after all, they wanted him to be like Jesus. My Mom’s name was Marie (a variation of Mary). My grandparents must have been pleased –for Mom turned out to be just like Mary.
I got a call from Mount Airy the next day; they arrived safely home. And as for us? You never know when Jesus will stop in with a broken-down pickup truck to give a “pop-quiz.” Be ready to change your plans for Jesus. Sometimes we must stop our “church work” in order to do His work.