Let me set the scene….
It’s a typical Tuesday evening on one of the chillier nights of the fall season here in Raleigh. There is a cool breeze over the city and the leaves of the grand oak’s are dancing with it. My belly is warm and full, after a hearty serving of chili simmered excellently by none other than Janet Whited.
After our meal I decide to join some other fellows for a couple games of pickle ball. How am I to resist some much needed activity. I hop in my car and cheerfully cruise to North Hills Park to slap the ball around with some friends. It’s darker than normal, sooner than normal, due to this unusual thing us humans do where we all change the time of our clocks by an hour for some reason none of us understand.
As I arrive I am greeted by fellows and friends, and we begin to play under the bright florescent lights and wispy cirrus clouds. We have some lovely competition, knocking the bright yellow ball back and forth over the awkwardly sized net, too cowardly to be for tennis, and too proud to be for ping pong. A healthy sweat has been broken, and I wipe my brow, content with my motion for the evening. The cold has become sharper, and I look to Gretchen, who has come to spectate shivering, ready to leave, but in need of a ride.
We get in the car, ready to depart, but even more so ready for the release of heat from the vents to bring warmth back to our extremities. As I turn to navigate out of the parking area, my precious vehicle loses all function.
Fast forward 30 minutes and it has been realized that it is going to be out of commission…
My car is dead.
Something that I have gotten to experience this month has been the dedication and practical love of a biblical community. My class of fellows, host family, former fellows, and college friends, all came alongside me and provided very practical help when I really needed it.
Living in Raleigh it really is pretty impossible to be productive without a vehicle. My week of being carless in Raleigh was actually a blessing, and I saw God teaching and reminding me of a few things.
It’s ok to ask for help. I am not someone overly inclined to receiving help, much less asking for it. Being helpless and without a car, God reminded me its ok to rely on my loving community. If I would drive my friends around when they don’t have a car to get around, why would I deny them to help me in my helplessness. This also helped to remind me of my human desire to be capable and do things on my own, and that at the end of the day I have to rely on lots of things, people, and ultimately God. Also that this is not a highlight of my inadequacy, but that it is the blessing of Christ that my burdens need not be carried by me, and that Jesus carries them, while God also places people around me to be cared for by and to care for. I see pretty clearly a picture of Christ’s sacrificial love, in the way my friends went well out of their way to assist me this month.
It’s ok to slow down. In this time without my car, I had significantly more downtime than I have had all of this year so far in fellows. It was rejuvenating to be slow, and I was honestly quite at peace with the whole situation, despite logistical and financial stresses. Being able to get out of a rushed rhythm helped me to focus more on Gods provision and be at peace with my situation, rather than always bouncing from one thing to another, always concerned how I will get each thing done.
My privilege of owning a car and having autonomy. This time also allowed me to reflect on the privilege that I have been blessed with my whole life. I am reminded of all the amazing little and big ways that I am fortunate. All of my immediate needs are met, and the temporary lack of a car at the end of the day is a pretty manageable problem to have when compared to the issues we are seeing in the world today. This month, and so far this year, God has continued to grow my empathy and care for people facing hardships I can’t even begin to imagine. The least we can do out of response to these blessings we have received is to acknowledge and be thankful for them, as well as become knowledgeable and empathetic about the disparity/difference between our experience and others. Then from there we get to move in compassion to try and rectify these differences where we can. In reference to 2 of David Spickards 4 Qualities of a Just Leader, we need to build cultural competency and take bold and courageous action. And we should do all of this as a reaction to Christ’s love.
This got pretty long pretty quick. This is just a tiny snapshot into one part of my month, and only a of the many ways God has been teaching me throughout this month. It has been such a blessing to walk alongside this special group of friends as we all process and learn about the world, ourselves, the God of the universe, and His plan for all of it.
Signing off until next month,
Simas