LIFE & FAITH
A flat tire, a neighborhood Facebook post, and $275 raised in twenty minutes for a stranger who needed help.
A few months ago, I took my youngest child to a batting lesson. As he warmed up, a woman I’d met only once entered the gym, asking the coach when he’d be available to assist another woman outside with a flat tire. Steeped in Southern tradition and chivalry—and with about 45 minutes to spare—I quickly volunteered, “I can help.” In my mind, a baseball mom needed her tire changed. That was a challenge I felt ready to tackle.
We walked out together, crossing the parking lot and winding through a wooded trail to a nearby field. There, we found a vehicle in dire straits—not just one, but three tires urgently needing attention. One tire was completely off the rim. The situation was far worse than I had imagined.
But the owner wasn’t a baseball mom at all. She was a woman living out of her car, with nowhere else to go. My mind raced, trying to piece together solutions. As much as I wanted to purchase all the tires myself and send this friend safely on her way, I knew my wife and I kept to a strict budget, and there was simply no wiggle room for extra spending.
I asked her to carefully drive the car around the corner—to move it off the grass and onto the asphalt—while I searched for open tire shops. Thankfully, Discount Tires was still open! Now the challenge was figuring out how to pay for the repairs. As I made my way up Trolley Road to the tire shop, I quickly posted a message on my neighborhood Facebook page, asking twenty people to each contribute $10 so we could help someone in urgent need. My plea was something along the lines of, “You don’t know me, but we need to come together and help a person in need…” What happened next was nothing short of astonishing.
A few skeptics asked, “Is this real or a scam?” Thankfully, friends who knew me vouched for my credibility. Some even shared my post to their own pages, expanding our reach. I needed $275, and within twenty minutes, it was in my Venmo account. I actually had to return some donations after we had already covered the cost of the tires.
With the funds secured, we bought the tires and had them mounted onto the rims. I delivered them back to the car and installed each one. When the car owner saw that her need had been met, she was moved to tears. I was awestruck by how quickly our community rallied together to help someone in distress.
Proverbs 3:27 teaches, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.” I am deeply grateful to my neighbors who responded because they could. One neighbor messaged me privately to say they set aside funds each month to help others—a truly intentional way to live.
1 John 3:18 reminds us, “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” Witnessing so many people step up in a time of need—many of whom I didn’t know, nor did they know me—was a powerful testament to the goodness that exists in our world.
Though neighborhood social media is often a place for complaints and gripes, there are people willing to unite and make a positive difference. Imagine if that was our daily focus. We are called to love one another (John 13:34) above all else. My encouragement to you: seek out opportunities to make a difference. What began as a routine moment quickly turned into something life-changing. Rather than giving up, we reached out for help—and together, offered hope to a young woman. Countless opportunities await, simply waiting for us to notice.
Thank you to everyone who gave and made an impact on this young woman’s life. You know who you are. Your willingness to make a positive impact inspires me and restores my faith in the kindness of our community!
