Last year when traveling back from Utah by myself with the children our Suburban started to make some funny clinking noises that seemed to come from under the hood. The noises stopped but then I saw smoke coming out the back. TONS. OF. SMOKE. As I looked in the rear view mirror, I could barely see a light blue van flashing its lights at us. We just happened to be next to an exit so we pulled off and the van followed. As soon as we stopped the male driver hopped out and ran to look under the suburban. He started cussing and swearing and ordered me to turn the truck off. We were leaking transmission fluid. The whole undercarriage of the truck was covered in fluid and so were the back tires. The guy’s van also had fluid sprayed all over the front. The next words out of his mouth were, “Do you have someone you can call to come get you?”

I called Mr. Ferrero Rocher who was in the middle of teaching at church. He talked to the fellow who stopped, and who, you can thank my lucky stars, was a mechanic and ex-tow truck operator. He was sure we could make it to Elko, NV where Mr. FR would meet us at the McDonald’s. I’m telling you the man who stopped to help was really an angel in disguise. He looked scary – long hair, beer belly, tattoos, the works- but he knew what he was doing. Instead of getting back on I-80 he told me to take the road we had pulled off onto and it would take us right into Elko. I had the girls all pile back into the suburban and that gentleman followed us all the way into Elko going 35 miles per hour. We pulled into the McDonald’s parking lot where he took one more look at the truck. He said we were dang (well okay his language was much stronger than that) lucky the transmission hadn’t ceased with all the traffic going by he was sure there would have been a major accident. I thanked him profusely for helping us and he got in his van and drove off.

I thought of this event often since then. Does he know how much his act meant to me and my family? Probably not. He could have passed on by like all the other cars did. It would have been easier. But he didn’t. Why?

I’ve been recalling past kindnesses shown to me -some big, most small- but all have come when I needed it; a door held open when my arms are full, an unexpected visit from a friend, a smile and wave from the neighbor passing by, frozen dinners filling my freezer after the birth of a baby, a “Great to see you” greeting from someone at church, an “I Love You” written with crayon in childlike scrawl. It gave me pause to wonder – how often do I stop to help someone in need? Or maybe the bigger question is how often do I pass up the opportunity to help someone else?

The words of the hymn “Have I Done Any Good” come to my mind.

1. Have I done any good in the world today?
Have I helped anyone in need?

Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad?

If not, I have failed indeed.

Has anyone’s burden been lighter today

Because I was willing to share?

Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?

When they needed my help was I there?

[Chorus]

Then wake up and do something more

Than dream of your mansion above.

Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure,
A blessing of duty and love.

2. There are chances for work all around just now,

Opportunities right in our way.

Do not let them pass by, saying,

“Sometime I’ll try,”

But go and do something today.

’Tis noble of man to work and to give;

Love’s labor has merit alone.

Only he who does something helps others to live.

To God each good work will be known.
Text and music: Will
L. Thompson, 1847–1909, alt.

Here are some simple ideas to spread a little joy to someone else today.

SMILE! And see if anyone smiles back.

Hold the door open for someone else.

Participate in the Hope Revolution. The concept is simple. Make some cards with inspiring messages like “You are loved,” “Smile,” “You are Beautiful,” “No one can take the place of you,” and leave them in public places to be found by someone else.

Write a Thank You letter.

Read a book to your child.

Save your change and give it to a charity of your choice.

Call a friend.

It is my hope that each of us will try a little harder to give a little more, to actively seek for ways to serve others, to look beyond our own troubles and worries. The world will be a little better for it.

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