Gò0dNews for Everyone
Someone With Skin On
S
by Evelyn Bathe
hortly after marriage, my husband was drafted
front door of my little duplex apartment in a residential
right into the middle of the Vietnam War. Being
area. In retrospect, I feel that man must have been a
in a city with no relatives nearby except an aunt,
veteran and felt sorry for a soldier’s little wife left at home
I was left to fend for myself. After a few months, I got
to get by. I also felt he must have been a Christian, or at
a better-paying job in the next city just 30 minutes or so
least a good moral person, because even though he now
away via Interstate 85. We had a used Corvair (need I say
knew exactly where I lived, I never heard from or saw the
more?) and were having car trouble on a regular basis.
man ever again. God bless you, truck driver veteran!
One day on my way home from work, barreling down
Times have changed. Today, I wouldn’t dare repeat
the interstate, my little car decided to quit. I coasted down
my actions of that scary day. For one thing, I have a cell
the shoulder as far as I could, then sat there and prayed,
phone, which is a very present help in time of trouble! For another, I am older and wiser, and the world is more dangerous and less deserving of trust. Good Samaritans are few and far between nowadays, but I thank God for one that passed my way on Interstate 85 one weekday afternoon between Greensboro and High Point, North Carolina, rescuing a young soldier’s wife who was in dire need. On that day, God was my very present help in time of trouble, and He came to help me in the skin of a truck driver. You’ve no doubt heard the story of the little boy who was in bed when a storm came. He called out to his dad, who told him there was no need to be afraid because God was
wondering what on earth I was going to do. Just about
with him. The little boy answered, “I know, Dad, but I
that time, a big 18-wheeler pulled up behind me, and the
want someone with skin on!”
kind truck driver got out and offered to help. He seemed
Our God is a very present help in time of trouble,
to pinpoint the problem with my car, which was major,
and most of the time, He relies on His Good Samaritans
and offered to drive me home.
to provide His help. When we go through the trials and
Not knowing what to do, I asked him if he could take
hard places of this life, we need someone with skin on
me to the next exit so I could call my aunt and ask her
to come alongside us and help us out. Will you be that
advice. I climbed up into that 18-wheeler, and he took me
Good Samaritan, that someone with skin on, and help
to the next exit and waited for me to make the call to my
someone today?
back into that 18-wheeler, praying all the way, and trusted my life to a truck driver. He drove me right to the
34 // November 2020
About The Author
aunt (who didn’t know what to do either!). So I climbed Evelyn Bathe is the wife of Joseph, mother of Jonathan, and grandmother of Brooklyn and Jackson. She has been a speaker for youth, women, and marriage conferences and served in various Christian ministries. Evelyn and her husband retired from pastoring and presently attend Peerless Road Church in Cleveland. Follow Evelyn’s blog at evelyntbathe.wordpress com.
