Someone With Skin On

from November 2020

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Someone With Skin On

by Evelyn Bathe

Shortly after marriage, my husband was drafted right into the middle of the Vietnam War. Being in a city with no relatives nearby except an aunt, I was left to fend for myself. After a few months, I got a better-paying job in the next city just 30 minutes or so away via Interstate 85. We had a used Corvair (need I say more?) and were having car trouble on a regular basis.

One day on my way home from work, barreling down the interstate, my little car decided to quit. I coasted down the shoulder as far as I could, then sat there and prayed,

wondering what on earth I was going to do. Just about that time, a big 18-wheeler pulled up behind me, and the kind truck driver got out and offered to help. He seemed to pinpoint the problem with my car, which was major, and offered to drive me home.

Not knowing what to do, I asked him if he could take me to the next exit so I could call my aunt and ask her advice. I climbed up into that 18-wheeler, and he took me to the next exit and waited for me to make the call to my aunt (who didn’t know what to do either!). So I climbed back into that 18-wheeler, praying all the way, and trusted my life to a truck driver. He drove me right to the front door of my little duplex apartment in a residential area. In retrospect, I feel that man must have been a veteran and felt sorry for a soldier’s little wife left at home to get by. I also felt he must have been a Christian, or at least a good moral person, because even though he now knew exactly where I lived, I never heard from or saw the man ever again. God bless you, truck driver veteran!

Times have changed. Today, I wouldn’t dare repeat my actions of that scary day. For one thing, I have a cell 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 with him. The little boy answered, “I know, Dad, but I want someone with skin on!”

Our God is a very present help in time of trouble, and most of the time, He relies on His Good Samaritans to provide His help. When we go through the trials and hard places of this life, we need someone with skin on to come alongside us and help us out. Will you be that Good Samaritan, that someone with skin on, and help someone today?

About The Author

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.