Stacking Rocks
There is an off-road park near our house that we like to go to once in a while. I say once in a while because it’s a calculated risk! The park has thousands of acres of marked trails that can test man and machine; from the easy dirt roads similar to the one we live on, to the “there’s no way a vehicle can go on that trail!”. It’s entirely up to the driver to determine which routes to take based on their experience, how their vehicle is equipped, and how much courage they have packed for the day!
Like anything mechanical, things can break. That’s always in the back of my mind as we navigate around the park. It’s not that I can’t fix things, it’s that I don’t want to have to do in the middle of the woods. So, every obstacle comes with a calculation of “is it worth it?”. You might be reading this wondering why it’s a good idea to even drive a vehicle off-road when we have plenty of “on-roads” to travel. That’s a fair point. But it sure can be fun and that’s enough for me!
On our last outing I had my youngest son Sam as co-driver and he pointed me up and around a large ledge. Our Jeep made quick work of the easier path and Sam was observant to point out that the ledge was much taller than my tires. What he saw as a hindrance to avoid I saw as a challenge but I listened to the wisdom he’s gleaned over 10 years of life.
Behind us, a friend with a much larger, more powerful, Jeep approached the same ledge. Not one to take a shortcut, he decided to drive up the ledge. He was successful until he wasn’t; his front tires made quick work of the ledge but the length of his rig caused it to be high-centered on the rock formation that I managed to avoid. He had four giant tires that were off-road ready, the biggest problem was they were completed off the ground. Fun was not being had at this point.
We put our collective heads together and looked at our options. We had a winch we could use; those are fun and effective but also a little dangerous at times. We could use a tow strap and my Jeep to pull the belly-dragging beast off the ledge. This sounds pretty manly but it would also test my Jeep and risk breaking something. Our last thought was to stack rocks under his tires and hope that the tires would gain enough traction to move the Jeep off the ledge. This didn’t sound very exciting or glamorous but it was extremely practical and easy since we were surrounded by rocks.
It was nice that we avoided trouble with our risk-adverse path around the ledge. We were fortunate and maybe a bit lucky. But life is full of complimentary stories of both successes and belly-dragging situations.
Stacking rocks was a practical way to get unstuck. It worked like a charm! We spent 10 minutes moving earth around into strategic positions so that his tires would meet the ground and he could move forward. While we stacked we laughed and didn’t even talk about the dilemma we got ourselves into with poor judgement. I think we learned our lesson but the practical placement of solid ground under his tires was our path forward.
That’s not the only time stacking rocks has come in handy in my life. Years ago I was riding my bike on a familiar road that winds along a creek. It’s a beautiful stretch of road and there are always wildlife to observe as the road weaves between the water and farmlands. On this day I didn’t see much wildlife other than a 90-year old man standing next to his bike.
I did a quick u-turn because things didn’t look quite right. As I rolled up my mind couldn’t quite grasp the situation; was he an escapee from the local retirement home? Was this a normal thing for him to be out riding or did he find a bike and escape from dining hall with nurses in hot pursuit? I had to find out!
We tried to hold a conversation but I couldn’t understand his mumbling and he probably didn’t understand my cycling attire and who I was. I thought it would be a good idea to either call the nurses station or at least follow this guy around for a bit.
The biggest problem, beyond our inability to hold a conversation, was that he couldn’t swing his leg up and over his bike so he could push off into the great unknown or back to the great retirement home. He had dismounted his bike in some form in order to see the fish selection in the creek and when he returned to his bike he couldn’t get going again.
Our options were limited here, I could try to pick the poor guy up and place him on the seat. That would be awkward and I could see where things could go from bad to worse easily! Another option would have been to call the retirement home and try to explain the situation. Or “we” could start stacking rocks and build a platform for my cyclist friend to stand on while he mounted his bike.
So once again, stacking rocks was the solution. It didn’t help to banter about poor judgement or anything else at this moment, just stack those rocks! Within a few minutes we had a nice little ramp built, definitely not OSHA compliant, but enough for him to swing a leg over the top tube and sit his butt on the seat. Success!
In a flash my cycling buddy started across the parking lot and moved out onto the open road. I had to follow and find the answer to my question, “How in the world did this guy ride his bike out here?”.
I thought I would ride beside him but we were quickly up to a speed where I thought it would be safer to follow. Every few seconds I would hear a click and I would watch his chain jump to another gear. With that change brought a few more miles-per-hour. The clicking and speed jump continued and while his age meant “retirement home” his speed and strength in his legs sure showed otherwise. We rolled beside the creek and eventually he leaned into the turn that took him up the hill and towards his retirement home. He even put his hand up for hearty wave mid-turn. When you have 9 decades of riding you are comfortable doing such things…you just need to have some rocks stacked for you once in a while!
Stacking rocks. What a necessary and practical way to meet the needs of another. Stacking rocks seems simple; it’s seeing a need, seeing past a mistake or misfortune, and finding a way forward. It’s not dwelling on the how and why but rather the “how can I help this person and meet their condition and need right now?”. Stacking rocks is meaningful work not for self-promotion but for the movement of a fellow man that needs some help going forward. It’s for the people that have their bellies stuck on a ledge like a Jeep and for those that can’t seem to get a leg over a bike. I need rock stackers in my life. You do too. We all do! The truth is that Jesus places people in our lives that are more than capable, willing, and able to stack rocks. These are special people! It is noticeable when a fellow man serves simply in a time of need. Some would call “stacking rocks” an act of kindness. Others might say it’s being the hands and feet of Jesus. I would say it’s seeing putting what you believe into action when you have the opportunity and recognizing the gifts in others when you need them. Keep stacking rocks friends!
