A Helper

Growing up I learned to help daddy. Being poor we did our own work because we could not afford to hire someone. Dad would teach me about tools and repairing broken equipment. He expected me to identify a tool or part when he asked for it.

One night stands out. Dad was working our 1958 Chevy and told me to get a part from the cabinet on our back porch. I was clueless so I asked momma to help me. She was clueless as well. The best I could remember I think it was a part for the distributor. I searched the cabinet and retrieved a part. When I gave it to dad, he was not happy.

He wanted to know what they were teaching me at school. I told him, “Not mechanicing (a Chilton County Alabama term).” School had changed since his time in school. He would not believe the things schools teach today. Granted there are trade schools that teach mechanics.

Through the years I learned from dad and could hand him the proper part or tool before he asked for it. It was fun watching dad react when I would hand the correct tool when he had asked in error. I thank God that dad taught me many things that I never had to hire someone to perform.

When I was twelve, Bill Langston, a carpenter, asked me to help him building houses. I helped him for years as he taught me the principles of construction. It was a wonderful job to watch a house being built from the ground to completion. I still love the smell of cut lumber.

I have spent most of my adulthood being a helper. My first job after graduation was making boxes for Keystone Metal Molding. It was humiliating for an honor student and Beta Club president to be a helper to someone that never graduated but that is life when you start working.

I bid on a die setter position and became another helper. I can honestly say that die setting in giant 150-to-200-ton presses was one of the best jobs I ever had. The transformation of rolled aluminum becoming a shiny chrome part for automobiles was fascinating.

I became a machinist helper and Robert Smitherman taught me operate laths, sharpening drill bits, and how to work using all those algebraic equations that I told Miss Harvey, my algebra teacher, that I would never use. It was amazing to watch metal turning in a lath become a vital piece in machinery.

Working in the cement industry I was a kiln burner helper for A D Gore. A D taught me how to operate, or burn, the cement kilns. A D was the best burner at the plant and was a very good teacher. He became a supervisor and I eventually became a kiln operator.

One of the things that I have done as a helper was to pull pranks on those I helped. When working in the carpenter shop attending school at the University of Montevallo, I helped Bailey Santa Cruz. We became great friends and I would pull tricks like giving him the wrong tool for a certain job. He would give me a sour look and shake his head. He would say. “That’s the wrong tool.” I would have this big grin as I pulled the correct tool from my back pocket and handed it to him.

When I worked in maintenance at the cement plant, I was a helper to “Cotton.” My foreman placed me with Cotton because no one could work with him. I asked, “Why me.” My foreman said, “Because you’re a preacher.”

I found Cotton to be bitter about life. I took time to listen and help him with more than maintenance. It was difficult to help him because he knew more than me. I learned to allow him to make mistakes and become frustrated then I would offer my aid. Most of the time I diagnosed his failure by watching him and figured how to solve his dilemma.

Cotton was a good teacher and after I gained his favor, I was able to help him. Our co-workers could not believe the change in him.

I have learned that is how the Comforter, helper, works in the life of a believer. I have a big grin when I think the Comforter has a sense of humor.

 

“Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.” – Psalm 54:4 KJV

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.” – Psalm 121:1-2 KJV

“So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” – Hebrews 13:6 KJV

“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” John 14:16 KJV