The trucks began arriving in the early morning of a crisp and cold Saturday. They came from all over town and pulled into the Brookshires Grocery Store parking lot, stepping out into the cold and shaking hands while huddled around an open tailgate. To the casual passerby, this appeared to be a strange fraternity of pickup truck owners gathered for their monthly meeting. But this group was gathered with a specific mission in mind.
Soon a truck loaded with lumber and another truck loaded with tools pulled into the parking lot. Like a group of regimented cavalry troopers, the gatherers saddled up in their respective vehicles and the caravan pulled out onto Main Street and made their way out into the country. They drove through winding roads and wide pastures. Their only observers were cows lazily grazing in the morning chill. Soon they pulled into the drive of their prospective objective. It was time to go to work.
Those in the house where this cavalcade had just arrived must have been a little overwhelmed at the sight. Their once tranquil front yard and quiet country street had been invaded by almost a dozen pick-up trucks, over 20 persons, and loads of tools and lumber were now swarming over their property. But instead of calling the police, the host brewed a pot of coffee and laid out a plate of donuts and kolaches for these squatters.
As the morning went on and the sun continued to rise, coffee was drunk, donuts were consumed, laughter was exchanged, and between all of that two wheelchair ramps appeared from the pile of lumber and amid showers of sawdust. The host was invited to come out and see the results of their handiwork, prayers were offered up to the heavens, laughter exchanged again, and then the troops mounted their metal steeds and the caravan of pickup trucks one by one made their way back to their homes. Leaving the coffee pot empty, the donuts consumed, and two new wheelchair ramps resting in the sun.
And it all happened in two hours on a Saturday morning in Fairfield Texas.
The Book of Acts states, “While you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” To the casual observer, this might have been just another group of do-gooding Christians wasting their Saturday to help some stranger. But to the family who watched out the window of their home as these human carpenter ants built a ramp that would allow a family member to easily regain normalcy in their lives, it was a miracle.
We serve a God that can turn a couple of fish and loaves of bread into enough to feed thousands. On that day, in Fairfield Texas, Jesus Christ turned some simple boards of lumber into wheelchair ramps that brought hope to a family in need. Those workers were not working, they were worshiping, and it wasn’t a ramp-build, it was a worship service. The hymns were the song of the saw, the sermon was the laughter of the congregants, the prayers were those of joy and praise, and the communion was cups of black coffee and the bread of kolaches and donuts.
Another miracle in our midst in the humble community of Fairfield. May we never forget the hand of Christ is at work within our midst and through the beloved servants he equips to do good work.
Special thanks to the Texas Ramp Project, its supporters, and members of the churches who made this miracle possible. Well done good and faithful servants.
—
Pastor Mike McVey
Minister – First United Methodist Church, Fairfield TX
ACS Chaplain – United State Coast Guard, Station Galveston TX
