Thanks, Dad!

On Friday, as I pulled into the driveway, I noticed a Cadillac parked across the street. An elderly gentleman was moving slowly around it, pulling things out of the trunk. As I walked up, he gingerly pulled the spare tire out. I said hello and quickly returned to my garage for my floor jack and star wrench. In a matter of minutes, I had the tire changed for him, and my wife had brought some water out for us. He thanked me profusely and we returned to our evening's activities.

I don't mention this to toot my own horn. I mention it as an excuse to explain why I went over there and fixed the man's tire without thinking twice. It's because growing up I watched my dad do it. Hundreds of times. Everything from killing snakes to clearing sewer drains. Electrical repairs, construction jobs, you name it. If someone needed help, he was the first to show up and the last to leave. He still is.

I also learned a lot of my (admittedly basic) mechanic and repair skills from him. I wish I'd paid better attention when I was younger, because there's very little he can't do, and not so much that I can do.

Still, thanks to him, I'm not afraid to replace brake pads and rotors or even replace a valve cover gasket (head gaskets are a bit over my head, though). Instead of buying a new $400 dishwasher or dryer, I order the $20 of parts, grab my tools, and fix it. When the toilet or the sink quits, same deal.

But more importantly, when someone else needs help, thanks to him, I know how to help them. And I have a reason to help them. Because my old man taught me that it's the right thing to do.

The Bible says, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." Dad showed me by example how we're supposed to treat people in need, and on occasions like Friday, I'm glad that I got the hint.

Thanks, Dad!