WAR COUNCIL - Chapter 3 - A Time To Serve

by Craig Ruhl

War Council is a work of fiction created by Craig Ruhl. This month we are pleased to present Chapter Three of War Council, A Time To Serve. Look for continuing chapters in future issues. Craig’s bio appears at www.faithoneverycorner.com/ meet-our-contributors.html War Council is copyrighted by Craig Ruhl 2020, all rights reserved.

The phone rang early, just as I was about to leave the house. On the other end of the call was Pastor Jeff from the First Methodist Church in Millville. He sounded breathless and agitated as he told me what the call was about.

“Slow down a bit, Jeff. Take your time and tell me what is wrong,” I said. I could hear a deep breath and then a few seconds of silence.

“Skip, I am calling the guys of the War Council because a friend of mine has a situation and needs some help right away. I know you are new to the group, but I was sure that you would want to be told of an opportunity to be of help.”

I answered, “Sure, I do, Jeff. What is going on?”

Jeff explained to me, “One of the young ladies in our congregation has a problem that we, as a group, might help her with. Her name is Elaine. She is a single mother with two young children and works full-time as a machine operator at the textile mill on the outskirts of town.”

“Skip, her car needed to be towed into the repair shop this morning. She got a ride to and from work, but it looks like the car will need expensive repairs and I don’t think it is worth fixing. She can’t afford a down payment on a replacement, so she is in a real bind. It is a battle in which she needs reinforcement.”

“How can we help?” I asked, “I am concerned for your friend Elaine, but I am also excited for an opportunity to work with the group in helping someone in need. Is this something the War Council should meet and discuss how we can help?”

Jeff agreed and said that he would contact as many of the guys as possible and ask them to meet us at the roundtable in about an hour.

When I arrived at the Millville diner, there were three men seated with Pastor Jeff. Kris, the server, was filling coffee cups and taking orders if anyone wanted something to eat. I recognized Gabriel Miller, the farmer, and Nick Turner, the fellow who ran a non-profit organization in town. The third man didn’t look familiar, and I didn’t think we had met. Once I sat down, Jeff introduced me to Kirk Martin who owns a used car lot just a few miles out of town. I shook his hand and mentioned that it seemed a little too coincidental that he appeared at the time a car problem was being discussed. All of us at the table got a chuckle out of that.

Jeff opened the conversation, saying, “Skip, thanks for coming. We all got here a little before you and I have already filled everyone in on Elaine’s situation and what her immediate needs are.”

Kirk spoke up and told us, “I have two cars on the lot that would fit the bill and solve Elaine’s problem. One has low miles and is serviced. It is older, but safe, and should be dependable. I have it tagged for sale at $1,000.00, but I only have two hundred dollars in it.”

Gabriel spoke up, “Maybe we could chip in or take up a collection to cover Kirks costs for one of his cars and then donate it to Elaine. It sounds like that would cost less than repairing her old car.”

Jeff added, “I think we could handle that if each of the men helped. I know that it would be a huge blessing to Elaine. She has enough on her plate already being a single parent and working shift work at the mill trying to make ends meet.”

As I listened, the discussion went back and forth, each man offering suggestions and working toward a solution. I had been told that there were maybe a dozen men who made up the roundtable group, but we only had a small representation present to discuss the situation. I asked, “Do we have time to involve more of the men or is this something that needs a quick solution?”

Jeff answered, “Elaine will need reliable transportation sooner rather than later. She could get a ride to and from work today, but I don’t know how long she can do that and I know she can’t afford to miss any hours at work.”

Nick motioned us to stop talking. He then said, “I think we missed an opportunity here and we need to take this to prayer and seek guidance and blessing before we reach a decision.”

We all agreed and bowed our heads. Nick prayed, “Heavenly Father, we come to you with a problem that we would like your help in solving. We have learned about a woman in the community who needs a car, but she has limited resources to buy another one or repair her old car. Please guide us to use the gifts, talents, and resources that you have given us to help her out. Your will be done. Thank you, Lord. Amen!”

We all said, “Amen,” in agreement. Kirk raised his head and beamed. “The Lord has put it on my heart to gift the use of the car I mentioned to Elaine. I don’t want money for it. But I have a request.” He continued, “I know that there are often people who find themselves in need just like Elaine and I would like to start a program where we can help them out from time to time. Like I said, I have a low-priced car on the lot in decent shape and safe to operate. How about the men of the roundtable set up a fund to underwrite the cost of keeping one or two cars repaired and available to loan or sell at a cheap price? We could keep them on the lot and reserve then for those in need?”

Jeff said, “I would like to be a part of that program and I know that there is a need for something like that. Maybe we could do it without calling attention to what we are doing. It is important to respect the privacy of donors and the recipient.

Kirk added, “I agree with what Jeff has said. Since Jeff is the one who told us about Elaine and she has trusted him with her situation, maybe he should be the one to offer the car to her and just say it has been donated anonymously. If you give me two hours, I can have the car washed, gassed up, and delivered to the church.”

Jeff smiled and agreed, saying, “Great! I am happy to do it that way. Thank you, Kirk, for your generosity and compassion. I’ll take it to the mill at quitting time and present it to Elaine. I am sure she can give me a ride back to the church after her shift. She will be thrilled and very thankful.”

Before going our separate ways that morning, we who sat at the roundtable once again bowed our heads and gave thanks for the answered prayer. I also said thanks to the Lord for guiding me to this group of men who call themselves The War Council. On this day, we would be victorious.