PASTOR DAVE’S MUSINGS FROM THE HEARTLAND

June 19, 2022

TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT

In Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe’s mysteries Wolfe is primarily a recluse who seldom ventures from his home.  A contributing factor for his seclusion is his dread of mechanical vehicles.  With all of their thousands of moving parts he is convinced that any one of them is likely to break, causing a serious accident.  On those rare occasions when he does ride in a car, it is in the back seat, his hand firmly gripping the strap and he remains rigid with anxiety the entire trip.

While I do not have the extreme apprehension about cars that Wolfe has, I must admit, I do have some concern whenever I am driving a car.  This is especially true of extended trips and as the vehicle ages.  The older the car, the more things can go wrong with it.  When I am close to home it is simple enough to have the car towed to the local Ford dealer.   However, when I am on an extended trip finding help is not such an easy task.

My 2016 Ford Fusion has lights to warm of me impending danger.  At least this does not allow me to be completely surprised when there is a problem.  The one that I find most likely to go off is the “Tire Pressure” light.  This is especially true in the winter.  It is always a good trip to visit our son and his family in Virginia when it does not go off at least once.  Another thing that can cause the light to go off is when a nail or a screw finds its way into the tire.

On a recent trip to Kokomo, the “Tire Pressure” light came on.  When I took it to the local Ford dealer, they told me I had a screw in the rear passenger tire.  They were not sure when they could get to it, but they did put air in the tire which turned the light off.  There was no way they could repair it quickly, , because everyone was on lunch break.  However, they were sure it would come back on.  The two men at the service entrance suggested that Discount Tire fixed tires for free and it was located just a few blocks away.

A person at Discount Tire examined my tire when I arrived, agreed that it had a screw, and said they could fix it.  There was at least one car ahead of us, so they thought it would be an hour or an hour and a half.  Since it was lunch time, Diane and I walked across the parking lot and had lunch at Panera Bread.  After lunch we took a stroll in a furniture store that was close.  As we were leaving Diane received a message that the car was finished.  When we picked it up, they said that there was no charge.

In Jesus’ Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37) a man falls victim to robbers and is left by the side of the road.  A Priest and a Levite pass him by without providing assistance.  A third man, a Samaritan, stops, offers help, takes the man to an inn, and promises to do whatever else might be requited.  When Jesus had finished his parable, he asked his audience, “Which of the three was the man’s neighbor?”  They answered the third.

While my distress by the side of the road was nothing compared to that of the man in Jesus’ parable, I still was in need of help while traveling.  The people at Discount Tire were my Good Samaritans.  On the front of the envelope with my bill for no charge was the following, “Let’s Get You Taken Care of.”  And they did.

All of us have opportunities to be Good Samaritans to others in small ways.  May we not be like the Priest and Levite who passed by on the other side, but like the Samaritan and the people at Discount Tire who offered assistance!