Chapter 14 - Two Men and a Starter

“…that they which have believed in God might be

careful to maintain good works. These things are
good and profitable unto men.”

—Titus 3:8

 Driving through Atlanta, Georgia, has never

been a pleasure to me. One day we were
coming into the city, the traffic began to
increase on I-85. Since our bellybuttons were
pressed against our backbones, we decided to exit
at Jimmy Carter Boulevard to get food at a Chinese
restaurant. We had enough gas to get to our destination
and enough money for a lunch special.
    After the meal, we piled back into our Ford van
and fastened our seatbelts. I tried starting the van,
but with no success. After trying again, the battery
died almost immediately. I checked under the hood
but found no problem except an obviously dead
battery.
    While I was checking the battery, a man walked
up and offered to give us a jump-start. As he went to
get his car, another man walked up and also offered
to help. When the first man returned, we hooked up
the jumper cables and let the battery charge for a
while and then tried to start the engine, but it only
dragged a bit. The first man crawled under the van,
and as we tried to start the engine again, he called out
that the starter was bad and hotter than a firecracker.
     Well, what should we do now? By this time, I
had told the men we were missionaries and also
witnessed to them about Jesus. They both assured
me they were saved and going to heaven. The first
man said that if we had a starter, he would install
it. I informed him that we were unable to buy one,
having spent the last of our money on food, whereupon
the second man offered to buy it. What more
could we ask for? Both men were ready and willing
to help.
    We walked to an auto parts store next to the
Chinese restaurant; and although they did have the
starter we needed, their price was too high. The man
buying the starter said, “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
He drove to Pep Boys and returned with just
the starter we needed. Meanwhile, my family had
gone back into the restaurant to get out of the heat.
    The first man laid out his tools and, lying on the
hot asphalt, installed the starter while we watched.
This time the van started immediately. I asked the
man who had installed the starter how much I owed
him, and he replied, “Nothing, I was glad to help.” I
was relieved to hear that, considering we were penniless.
My family returned, and we gave him a great
big thank you as he went on his way.
    Turning to the man who had bought the starter,
he said, “You do not owe me a penny. I am happy
that the Lord used me to help you folks.” He also
told me to take the old starter back and to keep the
deposit he had paid for it. We gave this man a great
big thank you, too, and like the first man, he went
on his way.
    What a blessing we had just received from two
men who loved the Lord and went out of their way to
bless us! We headed onto Jimmy Carter Boulevard
toward Pep Boys to retrieve the deposit. We used it
to buy our supper before church service that night.
Then we were back on I-85 and headed to our next
destination, discussing all that had transpired and
rejoicing in the Lord’s goodness. He had once again
proven to us that He is able to take care of His children
in any given situation. Glory to His name!

(Copyright by Jay B Ayers)