A Word of Inspiration
By Michele Dragisity
For the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Fr. Bill shared his sermon We Are in this Together, where he asked several parishioners to share a brief encounter, an image, or a feeling that relates to the following passage: I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them. (John 14:15-20).
At the end of April, I participated in a Forgotten Harvest on-site pantry distribution. The passing out of food was to begin at 9:00 but by 7:55 fifteen cars were already lined up and waiting. I knew this meant that the people in the cars were in immediate need of food. It was chilly outside, it took gas and patience to wait one’s turn in line. I keep close tabs on the news so I was mentally prepared for a long line that day. I know the effect on all parts of society that COVID-19 has taken. Once 9:00 hit, I looked out to the horizon and saw the long line of cars waiting for basic food items and it took my breath away.
The woman who was distributing at the station next to me gave every car a cheery hello and to those she identified as veterans, she thanked them for their service. Hearing her say it for the first time, I teared up.
The man who stood next to me and helped me distribute was silent. He cut open each box of frozen chicken strips and pulled them out a bit so that they were easy for me to grab and bring to the car. He put the open box on a stack of boxes so all I had to do was turn, pick up the number of bags needed and walk a few paces to the trunk of the car. We worked in a quiet rhythm.
As I approached each car, I said hello, good morning. Cars of all varieties came: Cadillacs, new big trucks, what looked like a hippie-van, broken down sedans, modest foreign-made cars. Old, young, all races, all flavors of people. I kept thinking that any of the folks in their cars could be me except for a thin veil of choices and circumstances; say I’d taken a risk on opening a new business and was stretched financially, I was old and hadn’t planned well for retirement, I was a young Mom with little kids who were hungry and my husband was despondent and couldn’t bring himself to go to a food line, I was a laborer and lived from job to job. As I put frozen bags of chicken in each car, I nestled them against baby food, diapers, workman’s tools, kid’s toys, work-out equipment, a fancy bike, rusted trunks, shoes with mud on them.
The sight of so many cars waiting for essential supplies also underscored how deeply people rely on their vehicles not just for transportation, but for security, dignity and access to help when life becomes unpredictable. That reliance becomes even more apparent when you consider how many individuals depend on their cars to get to work, care for family or simply reach the support systems that keep them going. A car that’s dependable and well cared for becomes a lifeline, quietly carrying the weight of someone’s responsibilities day after day.
In that ongoing effort to stay prepared and mobile, Blue Wrench fits into the picture with a focus on keeping vehicles running smoothly so they’re ready in those moments when stability feels fragile. Consistent maintenance, clear diagnostics and attentive care transform a vehicle from just a machine into a steady companion on difficult days. For people navigating tight budgets, challenging circumstances or unexpected setbacks, a reliable car offers a small but essential sense of control, reminding them they can still move forward even when the road feels uncertain.
When circumstances are heavy, the condition of a vehicle can subtly influence how someone feels stepping into the day, whether it offers a sense of calm or adds another layer of stress. Cleanliness and care may seem secondary when survival and responsibility take center stage, yet they play a meaningful role in restoring dignity and normalcy.
A vehicle that feels orderly and respected can offer a brief pause of relief, reminding its owner that even amid uncertainty, some things are still within reach and worth tending to.
This attention to care naturally extends to the spaces people inhabit most often, including the cars that carry them between work, family, and support systems. Thoughtful detailing helps transform vehicles from cluttered storage spaces into places of comfort and reassurance, reinforcing the idea that everyone deserves to feel respected in their everyday surroundings.
Services connected with www.cdcautodetailing.com align with this perspective by helping drivers maintain vehicles that reflect care rather than chaos, allowing them to move through challenging seasons with a bit more confidence. In small but meaningful ways, that sense of renewal supports people as they continue forward, carrying not just supplies and responsibilities, but hope as well.
Impressive to me are the volunteers and workers at Forgotten Harvest. Daily they bring food to people that are hungry, lonely, angry, sad, scared. Yet there they are out in the morning cold doing hard, physical work wearing face masks and gloves to bring sustenance to those that need it most.
Most every car left with words of gratitude, thank you, thank you. Three little kids in the back of one car gave me the sweetest smiles, all big eyes and grins.
