Tuesday, September 27, 2005
About Love
Last Thursday, my little brother called me on his cell phone very concerned. He lives in central Houston and had been on the road since 8 am and it was now 6 pm. He had less than half a tank of gas in his truck that he was driving and less than half a tank in the car his wife was driving with their two girls. "Bobby, I don’t know what to do." He had come only about 60 miles north of Houston. I told him to stay calm, keep moving north, I’d figure something out.
I had an idea--I’d fill up a lot of gas containers, put them in my trunk and head to him. I went to Lowe’s and found they only had the one gallon variety left, so I bought 24 of them, used my 5 gallon jug, and two of my neighbors 5 gallon jugs. I filled all of them up. It was kind of embarrassing. I could just see the news, "Local pastor hoards gas!" A little while later, I opened the trunk and was nearly knocked over by the fumes. I was told to drive with my windows down and to keep the trunk cracked where it could ventilate.
Finally, I got Mark on his cell and told him to keep moving north and when he had a third of a tank to call and I’d get to him. At 10:44 pm, he called and said they had a third and he was concerned. I told him I’d get to him. "But you can’t drive south!" "Don’t worry Mark, I’ll intersect you at 59 and 287." It was an adventure too long to write--stuck in traffic, going down Farmer-Market blacktop roads, but at 3 am, I made it to him. I’d also found gas at a station in Crockett and was able to fill my car before I got to him. When I got to him I told him to keep following me 45 miles I knew where gas was. I was somewhat nervous about opening my trunk with everyone needing gas!
We made it. At 7am, he headed the 30 more miles to Tyler and I headed back to Fort Worth. I began to just pray and I thought, he could have found that gas and made it without me--so what was that really about? Why did God allow that? The answer wasn’t hard--love. God wanted me to do something not just to say to my brother that I loved him, but to show him--and it was worth it. I began to think, "how many things does God do for us just for one reason--love." God, help me love purely and sacrificially like you did.
I had an idea--I’d fill up a lot of gas containers, put them in my trunk and head to him. I went to Lowe’s and found they only had the one gallon variety left, so I bought 24 of them, used my 5 gallon jug, and two of my neighbors 5 gallon jugs. I filled all of them up. It was kind of embarrassing. I could just see the news, "Local pastor hoards gas!" A little while later, I opened the trunk and was nearly knocked over by the fumes. I was told to drive with my windows down and to keep the trunk cracked where it could ventilate.
Finally, I got Mark on his cell and told him to keep moving north and when he had a third of a tank to call and I’d get to him. At 10:44 pm, he called and said they had a third and he was concerned. I told him I’d get to him. "But you can’t drive south!" "Don’t worry Mark, I’ll intersect you at 59 and 287." It was an adventure too long to write--stuck in traffic, going down Farmer-Market blacktop roads, but at 3 am, I made it to him. I’d also found gas at a station in Crockett and was able to fill my car before I got to him. When I got to him I told him to keep following me 45 miles I knew where gas was. I was somewhat nervous about opening my trunk with everyone needing gas!
We made it. At 7am, he headed the 30 more miles to Tyler and I headed back to Fort Worth. I began to just pray and I thought, he could have found that gas and made it without me--so what was that really about? Why did God allow that? The answer wasn’t hard--love. God wanted me to do something not just to say to my brother that I loved him, but to show him--and it was worth it. I began to think, "how many things does God do for us just for one reason--love." God, help me love purely and sacrificially like you did.
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