Religion Today: The Wingman
Guest Writer Spotlight: The Wingman – By Richard Lewis
Recently, I was driving on the freeway near our home. An 18-wheeler truck was in front of me and as I got ready to pass him he likewise decided to change lanes. As a common courtesy I flashed my headlights to let him know the lane was clear and he quickly moved over in front of me. After he finished changing lanes I saw his rear lights flash a “Thank you” for my courteous gesture.
SEE OTHER RECENT RELIGION TODAY ARTICLES:
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This took me back to a morning drive a few years ago when I was still commuting to work each day. I pulled onto the 91 freeway and within a few off ramps a large semi merged into traffic in front of me. Instead of pulling out into another lane to pass him I just hung out behind him. About the time I got ready to pass him again and started to pull out, he clicked on his signal and got ready to change lanes too. I was not quite up to his trailer bumper yet so I flashed my high beams that all was clear for him to come on over. This started about 30 minutes of driving like this. I would pull out into a lane and flash the lights and over he would come and off we would go, nose to tail again.
Several of my friends drive big rigs like this and I just can’t imagine how difficult it must be to maneuver one of these large vehicles on a busy crowded freeway like the 91. But today, my newly adopted friend in front had a wingman – me. Soon I forgot about my commute and focused on my partner in front. I began to think about what his needs were – when cars started to come up quickly on our left and I knew they might overlap and block us in, I made the first move to send them looking for another lane so they would not break up our train. A few times cars came around me and cut between us but I just worked my way back into the train position. We made it easily across the many lanes to transition onto the 55 Freeway and then on to the 22. Eventually, he signaled and pulled off on an exit. It was then I pulled alongside and he got the first look at the little car and its driver that had been watching his back for the past 1/2 hour. I saw a flash of his lights in “Thank you” as our eyes connected and then he was down the off ramp and was gone.
North Carolina Rest Stop photo courtesy of my truck driver and Ham Radio friend, Bill Lieber KJ6ZSP. Bill has driven over 3 million miles in his career.
I began to think about a parallel in the spiritual realm. I think we can all recall the times of blessing in our lives when we have set aside our own needs to think about the needs of others. What if we focus on others, building them up, watching their back, being a protecting and encouraging influence in their lives and trying to concentrate on their needs? What if we decided to put aside our pride and be the first to request or to grant forgiveness? What if we act quickly, realizing that this magic moment of opportunity may soon pass? The result will be that we will be blessed in all the areas where we were originally needy ourselves.
Then there is the sad part – Just as they came into our lives – They will suddenly be gone. How many times have we had a friendship with someone we thought of as a kindred spirit and then they were gone? I guess this is one of the sad parts of friendships and relationships – It seems a part of building into other’s lives is God moving them on to another place or situation where they can perhaps be a friend and encouragement to others…
This is the Galatians 6:7 principal, “Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.” It would seem that we reap what we sow. If I’m holding a handful of seeds, I can think, “I’m hungry – I will eat these seeds”. Of course, if we do that soon our hunger will return, our hand will be empty and those around us in hunger will not be helped at all. Instead, if we opt to plant those seeds, there is the potential for a great harvest that benefits others and us, as well. If you sow love, you will reap love in your life, in the same way you sowed, later than you sowed and greater than you sowed. Whether it is love, patience, time, grace or money, we can selfishly grasp it in our hand or open our hand to share what we have resulting in blessing others and ourselves. This is how we can truly get the most mileage out of our lives – by building into the lives of others and sowing seeds of blessing and love.
SEE OTHER RECENT DEVOTIONALS BY RICHARD LEWIS:
Religion Today: The Banana Peel of Entitlement
Religion Today: Corinthian Leather
Religion Today: Hood Ornaments
Religion Today: The Pancake Life
Note: This devotional is dedicated to all my truck driving friends. Let us extend some courtesy, patience and grace out on the road, so they can make it back home to their families safely.
Richard Lewis is a graduate of Arizona State University (Advertising) and California Baptist University (Computer Information Systems). Richard and his wife Sue met while they served as staff members at Campus Crusade for Christ for 8 years in the 1970’s. Richard served in the Campus Ministry at University of Texas at El Paso, Louisiana Tech and at the International Headquarters in San Bernardino, California.
Following their ministry in Campus Crusade Richard was the owner and manager of a bicycle shop in Riverside California for 19 years. After retraining in the computer field at California Baptist University, Richard worked as a Information Systems contractor and employee at Boeing for 17 years. Richard has written over 150 published articles in Information Systems and Computing publications including Windows Magazine and Windows Scripting Solutions. Richard has served in a leadership role as a Deacon and Elder in several churches as well as being a meditation presenter and Men’s Ministry coordinator.
Richard has written hundreds of meditations and devotionals that have been used in church and small group meetings. Many of these have been published in The Upper Room and Racers For Christ publications and on their web sites.
In 2021 Richard published a collection of his devotionals. These are available in a Kindle and paperback format on Amazon (ISBN 979-8705738878) “Life Stories to Uplift and Encourage”.
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Trevor Montgomery, 49, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).
Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.
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