A Moment of Reckoning
Have you ever experienced a moment where time stands still and everything you hold dear hangs in the balance? In an instant, you realize what truly matters and Who truly matters. Your heart sinks to the deepest recesses of your being, as your soul cries out to God for help and strength. Sensing the perilous nature of your situation and fighting against feelings of fear and foreboding, you turn to The One who can save you. The. Only. One. Although a positive outcome appears rather unlikely, you call out to Him anyway, unsure of how He will answer but knowing He will. Then, out of nowhere you find God’s refuge in a stranger’s hospitality.
Scripture Tells Us What to Do During Desperate Times
Scripture says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1, NIV). Unfortunately, today’s culture appears to often view Scripture as ancient text, merely a collection of old stories from a distant time and place. Instead, the Bible should receive proper recognition as the living Word of God. In fact, in the Old Testament Moses reminds God’s children, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified…, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deut. 31:6, NIV). Never? Well, if Scripture is to be believed and considered alive and well in contemporary circles, then God is always there for us. No matter what. Really? Really.
A Modern Story of How God Keeps His Promise as Our Refuge
Highly valuing family and desiring to reside closer to theirs, two young parents decided to relocate back to Indiana from Arizona. Rearing two young daughters, these parents possessed a strong desire to give their children the gift of more time with grandparents. Once the decision was made, plans progressed quickly because both girls would soon begin school.
After loading up a small U-Haul trailer and placing their children securely in the backseat, the family backed their car out of the driveway to begin their three-day journey across the country, amid words of love and well wishes from their neighbors. Upon departing, each girl received a “travel bag,” containing a coloring book, crayons, handheld games (but not the high-tech kind of today), and some edible treats. These parents had most definitely prepared for their cross-country odyssey. Well, at least they had prepared for what they could reasonable foresee…
Several hours into the trip, a real life-or-death adventure unfolded right before their eyes. The family of four began driving through the Mogollon Rim, a mountain range dating back to the Precambrian Era, located near Flagstaff, Arizona. Stretching 200 miles from Arizona’s Yavapai County to New Mexico, the Mogollon Rim provides travelers with all the expected twists and turns of a high-altitude, rugged terrain. Try scenic views with a 2,000-foot drop!
What could not have been anticipated but, unfortunately, became reality was the unexpected toll this stretch of the journey would take on the car’s braking system. Essentially, as their vehicle began descending the historic mountain range, the brakes stopped working! Yes, you read that right. No brakes. At all.
What happened next is really a matter of physics and not for the faint-of-heart. As one would expect, when a car loses its brakes at the top of a mountain, it rapidly accelerates and begins whirring down the steep incline at a heart-stopping pace. The father desperately hung onto the steering wheel with all his might through white knuckles in a feverish attempt to avoid plummeting along with his family over the guardrail to the thick green blanket of pine trees spread below them!
As the car with attached trailer fishtailed down the mountain, the young dad (through nothing short of divine intervention) kept his composure. With quick thinking he used the guardrail to prevent everyone from careening off the side of the mountain during their terrifying descent. While he was frantically engaged in a literal battle for survival between gravity and friction, his wife, having completely lost all ability to speak, prayed to The One who could save them. Meanwhile, their daughters giggled in the back seat, blissfully unaware of their family’s dire situation.
Eventually reaching a leveling-out point on the mountain, this desperate father finally stopped the car (with help from a guardrail, of course). After their car finally came to rest, both parents exited the vehicle. In a collective sigh of relief after realizing they were safe, this mother and father could finally relax.
As they reclaimed a sense of calm, these young parents started emotionally decompressing from such a traumatic, life-threatening experience. Almost immediately their shoulders began to relax. It was not long before their breathing followed suit. Their lungs responded like rapidly deflating balloons in an enormous joint exhale.
Standing completely silent with grateful hearts and in communion with The Creator, they solemnly gazed out over the vast blanket of trees stretched out beneath them. It was then they spotted a state trooper’s car parked at the base of the mountain, a beacon of hope in a dismal situation.
With the curtain of nightfall beginning to drape the late-day sky, these parents realized they needed to reach the officer as soon as possible. Quickly unhitching the trailer, they tied it to the guardrail and waited for the car’s brakes to cool. Once the brakes had finally cooled enough for them to resume driving safely, the father restarted the car and headed in the direction of the state trooper which they had observed earlier. Upon reaching the base of the mountain, the officer was still there and helped guide them to an auto repair shop.
And Now…The Rest of the Story
Writing about this harrowing experience more than four decades later, I still recall other bits and pieces of this miraculous moment. As you can tell, my family did not succumb and lose our lives on the mountain that day so many years ago, but it was a day when I believe my family entered the presence of an angel, or at the very least someone who embodied what it means to be like Christ. There is more to the story, as there always is in life. Now, I will do my best to finish it for you.
When we arrived at the auto repair shop, the mechanic had begun preparations to close for the day. Instead of turning us away, he welcomed us with open arms. Literally.
Jesus’s Message About Hospitality
According to Scripture in the book of Matthew, Jesus makes it unequivocally clear He expects His followers to help others. In fact, He provides us with a roadmap of exactly what we must do. We are to provide clothes, food, and shelter to those in need (Matt. 25:35-36, NIV). He did not say it was optional. Rather, Jesus doubles down about hospitality. He says, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matt. 25:40, NIV). Conversely, He has sobering words for individuals who turn a blind eye to helping those in need. He says, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me” (Matt. 25:45, NIV).
Jesus’s Hospitality in Action
Since my family had nowhere to stay for the night and everyone was tired and hungry, the kind, elderly mechanic invited us to his home. Upon arriving at his house, he showed us to our rooms with beds covered in clean, crisp linens and warm blankets on top. While he was in the kitchen talking to my dad, this kind gentleman prepared steaks and baked potatoes for dinner.
Becoming the Hands and Feet of Christ in the World
The true test of a person’s character is how they respond in unexpected, spur-of-the-moment situations when faced with people needing help. Well, in my family’s time of need, this man, who by all accounts was a stranger, became a blessing to us. He authentically lived as the hands and feet of Christ in the world. By feeding and sheltering us, he made us feel safe, supported, and loved in a moment of uncertainty.
Something else unexpected happened. What I can tell you is this stranger, who became a blessing to my family, shared with my parents that we, in turn, were a blessing to him. How could we have possibly been a blessing to him? You see, his wife had recently died, and he was experiencing loneliness upon returning home each night from work. From his perspective, he was blessed by our company. Of course, there was no way we would have known that, but God did!
Closing Thoughts and a Call to Action
Isn’t this just how God works? He is all about loving others where they are instead of waiting until they become who He designed them to be in the world. Our Lord wants us to bless others, especially those in need. Strengthened by God’s promise of never leaving or forsaking us, we can boldly reach out and help anyone in need (including strangers). Just like the elderly mechanic, we can serve as Christ’s hands and feet in the world. By authentically living as Jesus instructs us, others will meet, and come to know, Him. What a powerful witness! After all, there may come a time when you are the only view of Jesus someone will ever see. You never know when the time may come, but God does! Seize each moment, so you don’t miss the opportunity when it arrives!