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Real Life and Resolutions

(AgapePress) - It wasn't reality TV. It was real life. And we were stranded on the shoulder of South Carolina Highway 461. Leaving the coast after a week's vacation, my brother Lynn, sister Gail, their spouses Sharon and Luke, and I opted for the back roads. We were confident that our choice would trim many miles and even some time off the interstate route.

Two hours later, we were pulling off the highway because the van was overheating. A burst hose, we were confident. Easy fix. Call AAA. Call 911. But not one of the three cell phones among us would let us call out. No one answered the door at the only house in sight.

Then along came Troy with his nephew Mickey. He stopped, prowled around under the hood with my brother for a few minutes, then announced, "I don't think it's a leaky hose; I believe it's your water pump. Let me go back to Daddy's and get his tools and a jack."

Lynn went with them and later told us that when they pulled up at Troy's dad's house, he was sitting on the porch in his rocking chair. He announced, "Your mama's got breakfast on the table -- eggs, ham, biscuits."

"This man's car is broken down," Troy said, "and I need to borrow your tools." From that moment on, neither Troy nor his dad nor his nephew seemed to give a second thought to breakfast.

A few minutes later they were all three back on the roadside with us. After a little more diagnosing, Troy decided yes, it's the water pump. Lynn asked if he could install a new one and Troy assured us he could. If we wanted him to, he'd do the job. We'd already spent more than an hour with the family, and we had a feeling that Troy was our best hope to get repairs made quickly. They went to the nearest auto parts store (nearly an hour round-trip) for a new water pump. Wrong water pump. The second parts store was still farther away.

Finally, four hours later, Troy had installed the new water pump and the van was again road-ready.

"How much do we owe you, Troy?" Lynn asked.

"Aw, I can't take money for that," Troy said. "My life's just been so blessed, it's fun to bless somebody else for a change." Troy, his nephew and his dad had spent four hours with us, giving up their time and their plans to serve us.

In a society that seems increasingly self-serving, it's a rich and humbling experience to run across someone like Troy. Men like Troy are all too rare these days. I want to be more like him -- a man who just takes joy in giving up his own time, his own plans and his own goals in order to serve someone else.

Jesus must have had Troy in mind when he said: "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all" (Mark 9:35, NIV).

I don't make many New Year's resolutions, but I've got one this year -- to be more like Troy because, if I accomplish that, I know I'll be a little more like Jesus.