Bishops, Priest & Deacons, State Families and Membership,
My brothers and sisters in Christ, Greetings and Blessing from the Nowak Agency.
Happy New Year to you all, and Happy Valentine’s to you as well.
I want to share a journey I went on this month in January, as I was making a weekly trip to
True Value, doing minor maintenance at the office on the front door closer. I spotted an elder gentleman broken down on the corner of Winneconne and Commercial. I stopped and looked to see the matter. He had his hood up on his truck and was speaking into his phone, no flashers on and getting honked at, I could see he was in is early eighties. I turn into the closest driveway and went to offer some form of aid. As I Spoke with him about helping him get off this busy intersection, I could see the situation was stressful to him. I offered two options, one I could push him around the corner so he would not be at the stop light, which happens to be the business in the city. Or I could hook a chain up to my truck and pull him into the parking lot of the Walgreen’s. His reply was it is okay triple A was going to come and help him out, to which I said you will be honked to death by then. Let me help you get off the street. At this he stated he was thankful and accepted. After getting honked at as I was hooking up the chain, we did have another person offer some aid of a tow rope. We managed to get him into the parking lot of Walgreens, and as I was unhooking the chain, he said let me introduce myself, my name is Tim, to which I said that will be easy to remember as that is my name as well. He said I can tell you have done this before, to which I said yes, I grew up on a farm, where half the equipment had to be pulled to start. He thanked me again to which I said I asked him to let me take him home, to his favorite auto place or wherever he was going to originally. He said no to which I said you have no heater in your truck as the electronic has stop working. AAA would not be here for at least two hours. So, he agreed to let me take him to his fishing hole to where he was meeting up with Walter, and Walter would help him from there.
When we arrived at the location, which was a Mobile gas station, Tim turned to me and ask, what do I owe you, and I said nothing I am blessed to help you. Tim said, “nobody does that anymore, Tim” to which I responded, “Sir that is a false narrative. I am glad to help and hope you have good luck with your truck, and I offer you a little advice, if it was me, I would just replace the battery, they go bad, especially, when it is below zero.” Which it was on this day.
My reason for sharing this story is that, today false narratives abound. As Catholics we help people every day. As Knights of Mary and Missionaries of Fr. McGivney we change narratives every single day. Not so we can brag or look good, but so people can see Jesus’s love and mercy. Our narrative? Become a knight and provide the charity others don’t think exist anymore. We can change the narrative. If perhaps you needed a new year’s resolution, I have one for you. Be the change in the narrative in peoples’ lives.
Vivat Jesus,
Tim Nowak
