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The Good Mechanic
This is a true story which came to mind recently during these troubled times.
During the late eighties when my children were young, I had the privilege (or on some mornings the onerous and noisy task) of taking them to school which involved a car journey of some ten miles to Bedford and dropping them off after which I would go on to work. I normally enjoyed these journeys – we had a chat and played the latest band music in the car and then met up with school friends and other parents in the playground before the school day began. The ongoing journey to work was then a short five to ten minutes and I usually managed to get to work just before nine o clock.
On one such Monday morning after the drop off I set off for work already preparing mentally for the first meeting of the day which was scheduled for ten o clock but having almost reached the end of the road the engine spluttered and died. I came to a halt and anxiously tried to restart the engine but just a few coughs and then nothing. I am not a mechanic but I do know a few things about cars and so I lifted the bonnet and peered in. I was horrified by what I saw - a black oily mess was everywhere - all over the engine and plug leads - over the bonnet lid – in fact all I could see was a black mess and a big problem. What was I to do – you don t always think clearly in these situations at least I don’t and so I slammed down the bonnet and went and tried the starter button again hoping for a miracle. It did’t work - a few chugs and that was it. Over the weekend I had topped the engine up with oil – it was in those days when my car used almost as much oil as it did petrol - and then I had left the filler cap off!!!
I lifted the bonnet again and there was the filler cap where I had put it in a little space and not where it should be. I began to panic - my meeting was at ten o clock and as it was before the days of mobile phones I couldn’t contact anyone. I was dressed for work - a suit – a little shiny maybe but still ok and a nice clean shirt - well it was a Monday. I tentatively moved a few leads trying to keep as clean as possible and tried the starter again – and again - and again but still nothing and the battery was becoming weaker.
I carried little money with me in those days but just then a smart looking man carrying a brief case was coming down the road and I breathe a sigh of relief – yes, he looks the right sort and I was sure he would help me. He looked in my direction just the once crossed over the road and walked by on the other side head held high.
A few minutes later a second man appeared and as he came closer and I saw he was wearing the collar of a Minister of the Church. I thanked God that I too was a Christian – yes, this man of God would help me after all that’s what the Church does. He glanced in my direction and crossed over the road and carried on walking. I could hardly believe it – Christians in action – not this man – perhaps he couldn’t fix the car but he could have given me a much needed word of encouragement.
A third man appeared and as he grew closer, I could see he was totally different to the other two. He looked rough – in those days not the sort I would normally associate with and as he came up to the car, I was thinking this is the last thing I need, a broken-down car and now someone, who is going to give me even more hassle and trouble. He wore an old looking leather jacket with studs and slogans all over it - he had dirty looking jeans with holes in before that became fashionable – various bit of metalwork and further messages decorated his body – in fact he looked the last kind of person I would trust.
What’s up Guv – I kept my head down peering into the engine and not wanting to speak to this rough diamond and muttered I think I’ve got some oil on the plug leads. I can see that he said laughing but I’ll soon fix it for you – No, no, it’s alright I stammered hoping he’ll go away haven’ t you got a job to go to. No, it doesn’t matter, I am here to help you and with that he pulled out a rag or what was possibly once a handkerchief, out of his pocket and began wiping the plug leads. Leave it to me and for five to ten minutes he worked away cleaning this and that and making himself even dirtier in the process. ‘Try it again Guv’, he shouted from under the bonnet and when I did, the engine fired and came to life.
I tried to offer him the money I didn’t have as a thank you – I would meet him the next morning and give it to him – I would buy him a drink in the pub down the road – I could always have an orange juice but he wouldn’t hear of it.
Just give it a good clean when you get home he said with a wink and grin and remember to put the filler cap on next time!!!
I went on to work still reasonably clean and tidy and in time for the meeting but in the thirty plus years since I have often thought of that incident and of the morning I met my own personal Good Samaritan. In fact, when I go down the road or hear the story in the Bible, I remember the time when my faith in human nature was restored by an unknown man who God had sent to help me. He wanted no thanks or reward and what happened to him afterwards I shall never know but he taught me a valuable lesson that day which I will never forget.
We meet all kinds of people during our earthly lives but a favourite passage of scripture of mine is found in Revalation Ch7 v 9:
After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no-one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.
And the words of John Gowan’s remind us in these troubled times that we are all equal in the sight of God whatever our background colour or race may be.
During the late eighties when my children were young, I had the privilege (or on some mornings the onerous and noisy task) of taking them to school which involved a car journey of some ten miles to Bedford and dropping them off after which I would go on to work. I normally enjoyed these journeys – we had a chat and played the latest band music in the car and then met up with school friends and other parents in the playground before the school day began. The ongoing journey to work was then a short five to ten minutes and I usually managed to get to work just before nine o clock.
On one such Monday morning after the drop off I set off for work already preparing mentally for the first meeting of the day which was scheduled for ten o clock but having almost reached the end of the road the engine spluttered and died. I came to a halt and anxiously tried to restart the engine but just a few coughs and then nothing. I am not a mechanic but I do know a few things about cars and so I lifted the bonnet and peered in. I was horrified by what I saw - a black oily mess was everywhere - all over the engine and plug leads - over the bonnet lid – in fact all I could see was a black mess and a big problem. What was I to do – you don t always think clearly in these situations at least I don’t and so I slammed down the bonnet and went and tried the starter button again hoping for a miracle. It did’t work - a few chugs and that was it. Over the weekend I had topped the engine up with oil – it was in those days when my car used almost as much oil as it did petrol - and then I had left the filler cap off!!!
I lifted the bonnet again and there was the filler cap where I had put it in a little space and not where it should be. I began to panic - my meeting was at ten o clock and as it was before the days of mobile phones I couldn’t contact anyone. I was dressed for work - a suit – a little shiny maybe but still ok and a nice clean shirt - well it was a Monday. I tentatively moved a few leads trying to keep as clean as possible and tried the starter again – and again - and again but still nothing and the battery was becoming weaker.
I carried little money with me in those days but just then a smart looking man carrying a brief case was coming down the road and I breathe a sigh of relief – yes, he looks the right sort and I was sure he would help me. He looked in my direction just the once crossed over the road and walked by on the other side head held high.
A few minutes later a second man appeared and as he came closer and I saw he was wearing the collar of a Minister of the Church. I thanked God that I too was a Christian – yes, this man of God would help me after all that’s what the Church does. He glanced in my direction and crossed over the road and carried on walking. I could hardly believe it – Christians in action – not this man – perhaps he couldn’t fix the car but he could have given me a much needed word of encouragement.
A third man appeared and as he grew closer, I could see he was totally different to the other two. He looked rough – in those days not the sort I would normally associate with and as he came up to the car, I was thinking this is the last thing I need, a broken-down car and now someone, who is going to give me even more hassle and trouble. He wore an old looking leather jacket with studs and slogans all over it - he had dirty looking jeans with holes in before that became fashionable – various bit of metalwork and further messages decorated his body – in fact he looked the last kind of person I would trust.
What’s up Guv – I kept my head down peering into the engine and not wanting to speak to this rough diamond and muttered I think I’ve got some oil on the plug leads. I can see that he said laughing but I’ll soon fix it for you – No, no, it’s alright I stammered hoping he’ll go away haven’ t you got a job to go to. No, it doesn’t matter, I am here to help you and with that he pulled out a rag or what was possibly once a handkerchief, out of his pocket and began wiping the plug leads. Leave it to me and for five to ten minutes he worked away cleaning this and that and making himself even dirtier in the process. ‘Try it again Guv’, he shouted from under the bonnet and when I did, the engine fired and came to life.
I tried to offer him the money I didn’t have as a thank you – I would meet him the next morning and give it to him – I would buy him a drink in the pub down the road – I could always have an orange juice but he wouldn’t hear of it.
Just give it a good clean when you get home he said with a wink and grin and remember to put the filler cap on next time!!!
I went on to work still reasonably clean and tidy and in time for the meeting but in the thirty plus years since I have often thought of that incident and of the morning I met my own personal Good Samaritan. In fact, when I go down the road or hear the story in the Bible, I remember the time when my faith in human nature was restored by an unknown man who God had sent to help me. He wanted no thanks or reward and what happened to him afterwards I shall never know but he taught me a valuable lesson that day which I will never forget.
We meet all kinds of people during our earthly lives but a favourite passage of scripture of mine is found in Revalation Ch7 v 9:
After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no-one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.
And the words of John Gowan’s remind us in these troubled times that we are all equal in the sight of God whatever our background colour or race may be.
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They shall come from the east,
they shall come from the west And sit down in the Kingdom of God. Both the rich and the poor, the despised the distressed, They’ll sit down in the Kingdom of God. And none will ask what they have been Provided that their robes are clean. They shall come from the east, they shall come from the west And sit down in the Kingdom of God. |
Note: This series of 'Pause for Thought' started on Monday 4th May. To find these previous thoughts go to the Archive section of the website listed under the 'more.....' tab at the top of the page. On the 'Daily Pause for Thought' section of the website we will only keep 2 weeks of contributions before putting them into the Archive.
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