In the days, weeks, and months after H. Michael most everyone had one or more, some had many, flat tires from nails and other construction debris all over the roads. This incident happened on the 8th day after the storm near my house.
“A little lady, a widow, stopped me at our neighborhood gas station as I was filling jugs with water and asked for a ride to a friend’s house across the lake. Her little Chevrolet truck had a flat tire. No spare. No jack. So I took her to her friend’s house and she left the keys with me with a promise I’d try to get it fixed. My day was busy and at 3:30 I got back up there, got my jack out and started the process of getting the tire off. A gentleman who lives near us stopped to help. In a few minutes we had the tire in my Honda and off I went into Lynn Haven at 4 pm looking for a tire repair shop. Alas, none to be found in Southport or Lynn Haven. Then I remembered hearing on the radio a couple of days after the storm that Jim’s Tires on Transmitter was repairing tires. I made it there at 4:50. He was operating a generator out of the back of his pickup. His shop is all but destroyed. He said his home is too. But he fixed the tire in a few minutes, would accept no pay, affirmed God’s blessings to us both. We hugged in gratefulness for God’s mercies and I returned to the gas station where a young man with a tree service from Daytona helped me put the tire back on. Ms Sharita will make it to work tomorrow at the Chevron at Star Av and Hwy 231 because of the assistance of 4 people. Then I found out her 1969 trailer is unlivable and she’s sleeping in a tent. The needs of so many are almost more than a mind can grasp. With patience, kindness, and the Spirit’s help we’ll get through this….”