Cigarettes and Glory

**There is a point to all of this at the end**

My wife and I are driving back home from an anniversary trip to Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. We had a great time riding some incredible roller coasters!

While we were on the way there, we had a little accident. All of a sudden the roads were wet and I didn't think anything of it until we hydro-planed and started spinning down the Kentucky interstate at 75mph. Instincts kicked in and I turned the wheel into the curve and braced for impact. We finally slid into the mud and grass in the middle and came to a stop.

I knew no one anywhere close by, I had no tools, and I had on white tennis shoes. We were STUCK! Thankfully some people stopped and called their dad who had a truck that pulled us out. The car ran fine so we drove to the next exit to check it out. I realized my bumper and wheel well were dragging, but I had no way to fix it without tools.

A guy pulled up and got out of his car smoking a cigarette and wearing a Budweiser shirt. I told him what happened and he said, "I bet that scared the shit out of you!" I said, "Yes sir, it did!" So let's review. This man smokes, I assume by his shirt that he drinks, and he just cussed. All the things I am not supposed to do as a Christian.

The guy offered to help and I reluctantly agreed. He proceeded to check it out and went to get his wife and some wire from his house. Then we tied everything up and followed him to his shop to take a better look because he insisted. 

When we got there, I told him it drove great and thanked him for his help. But he insisted that we take a look under the lights in his shop and he got to work! We were probably there for an hour and a half until it was all bolted back together and strong as it was brand new! I was not expecting all of this at all. I was even trying to go on, but he wasn't quitting until it was done right. The whole think probably took 3hrs. 

After talking, for a while when we were tying up the bumper, they find out that I am a studying to be a minister. He tells me his nephew is studying to be a minister as well and I ask where. He says at a place called The Ramp (a relatively well-known church in my circle of friends and churches). I am surprised because, after all, this guy smokes, drinks, and cusses! Then I find out he himself is a Christian! 

And then I am ashamed for assuming otherwise. I have never seen another person be so determined to go the extra mile and love a person they have never met before, and I can't imagine that I was the first or the last person to ever receive that treatment! I assumed he was not a Christian because of three things he did that we count as the typical sinful lifestyle (when, in fact, most of these things are arguably not even "sins"). I don't smoke, I've never drank a beer in my life, and I don't make a habit of cussing. But I seriously don't think I would ever do what this man did for me. 

The Point: Maybe we should spend less time worrying about people drinking a beer and spend more time figuring out how to love our neighbors, go the extra mile, and help those who can't help themselves.

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27

Orphans and widows were the helpless in James' day. I think I counted as helpless on that day and I'm thankfully someone cared enough to help!

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