"Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, inpurity"(1 Tim. 4:12, KJV).
With a face full of trouble Tim turned into a run-down part of town passing the weathered and pealing sign of "Paul's Alignment Shop." His old car crunched through the graveled parking lot as he searched for a place in the row of cars waiting for front end alignments.
Tim yelled down to his friend in the grease pit, "Paul it's me, gotta minute?"
Paul's voice echoed from under a car over the pit, "Timmy, long time no see. Come on over and have a set down."
Paul's alignment pit was his pulpit. Strange terminology was common in Paul's oily pulpit pit. His speech was peppered with words such as draglink, tie rod and ball joint mixed with stained-glass words such as propitiation, charity, immortality, light, and resurrection.
Tim sat down and sighed, "It's been tough Paul." Tim continued as Paul fished out his biggest hammer and started clobbering a stubborn drag-link on the undercarriage of the car. Between blows Tim said, "You know Paul, there's a lot of good folks who will tell you they are your friend and then let you down when you need them."
Paul, nodded his head and said, "Yup," while continuing pounding mercilessly on the automobile undercarriage. The part didn't budge.
"It's rusted. These things spend years stuck in one place. Once they get like this it's almost impossible to move them."
Finally he landed the telling blow and abruptly the worn drag-link released its grip and fell helplessly onto the grimy floor. Standing astraddle the fallen part the greasy warrior drew a victor's breath. Tim asked, "Paul, what do you think makes people want to act like they do? We're all supposed to be Christians." Paul thought for a minute and then replied, "I learned a long time ago that a person has very few true friends. I don't mean to sound gloomy, but son that's just the way the wheels lines up. I figured out that lots of people are like nations. They say nations don't have friends, they just have interests. I could have failed history and figured that one out! Look at the way we trade with our former enemies. Today we call them friendly nations, but everyone knows we have an interest in them and they have one in us. We both have something to gain. That's just the way it is. Now Timmy, it ain't no different with most people. They don't have friends. . . . they just have interests. Made up my mind about that a long time ago and it don't worry me no more. Them that wants to be friends is fine with me and them that wants to behave like nations . . . well I know they only have "interests." I don't let it bother me no more. I just shake it off and press on. I forget the past and think about the future."
Paul laid his hammer aside and turned to his dogeared repair manual. As he was thumbing through the instructions he looked up to Tim and said, "It's all in here you know. The directions that tells you how to do things. It tells you what you can and cannot do. Tells you where to pound and where to be careful. In our business you gotta live by the book. If I make a mistake and mess up the steering, it's a matter of life or death."
Tim stared at part on the floor, thinking about how Paul kept persevering until he had victory. He smiled.
Paul looked up at his young friend, "Timmy, don't let people get to you just because you're young. You be an example to them and go by the book. By the way, did you need a front end alignment?"
Tim smiled and replied, "No, . . . you already gave me one."
Marvin Hunt writes from Oakwood, Georgia where he is a pastor.
