I once wrote a story covering the history of three-wheel scooters in my life. The first one I got after my husband’s death and was paid for by his insurance. It lasted right at nine years and someone donated the second scooter anonymously. This has been a real good one for working out in my yard but recently it died two days in a row out behind my house where no one would have seen me. Thank God I had my phone with some numbers programmed to call for help rather than calling 911. I called a different man both days to push me to the house but that is hard work and I feel bad when I have to ask someone to do that.
I knew even if I bought new batteries, the scooter might still require more expensive work and would not be under warranty. I needed something on which I could depend as the scooter is a substitute for my legs that no longer work. I went on the internet to avoid the middle man. It arrived in two days and my friend, Jasper, came right over and put it together. (I guess he’s the free middle man!)
I told someone that I was going to advertise the old one in the free ad column with a warning that it might need batteries and/or other work. Someone suggested that I could fairly ask $50-$100 as working used ones run around $500.
I explained that I could not in good conscience charge anything since the second scooter had been delivered from the medical supply store free of charge! During this discussion, a verse of scripture came to mind from reading the Bible in the past, but it took me about thirty minutes to find the verse in the Bible. In my women’s NIV study Bible, Luke Chapter 12 is almost completely “Warnings and Encouragements” given by Jesus.
Sometimes we don’t see ourselves as being the one to whom Jesus was, or is, talking. Well, at first He was talking to His disciples and then other followers. When we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord and decide to follow Him, then we become His disciples and should take heed of His warnings and encouragements in God’s Holy Word.
I researched the scripture in both my NIV and my King James Bible, and I knew the right decision was to give the scooter away. Luke 12:48 NIV reads: “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded.”
But this story doesn’t end here! The first response was from a young man who asked if I would hold the scooter until he got off work that day. I warned him that it might require some work and he said he could fix anything! Then he mentioned that he worked for a tree service.
A light bulb clicked on in my dense brain! A recent storm had broken a limb out of a cedar tree at the back of my property and I had been wondering how I could get that limb cut without too much expense. I asked if he would consider bringing his chain saw and cutting the limb all the way to the ground.
As it happened, his wife is a CNA and works with disabled old ladies like me.
Her brother had been in a serious car accident and can barely get around so they want to fix the scooter for him as a surprise. After he finished cutting the limb, the three of us talked about how this scripture led me to give the scooter away. I was delighted when he spoke up with another verse of scripture and said, “Well, you reap what you sow.” It was a pleasure to talk to someone else who knows scripture.
He got on the scooter and it didn’t move until he jiggled a few things and then off he went to his dilapidated old truck. They drove away with thankfulness in their hearts just as I’m sure her brother will give thanks for their kindness.
I looked around my gorgeous yard and thanked God again for the past nine years on the free scooter and what I have to look forward to on my third new Golden Companion scooter, the Cadillac of all scooters!
Linda Beck lives in Woodleaf.