The Iceman

September 16 - 18, 2005
Southern Mississippi

The plan was to let God show us what He wanted us to do. We had prayed for Him to do that.

“Where will we go first?” I asked.

“There is a ‘Food Distribution Center’ sign at the Orange Grove church building. Let’s go there,” Paul said.

“Who is in charge, here?” I asked. We were directed to Gary Finley from the Creve Hall church in Nashville, Tennessee. He was in charge of giving away huge amounts of food, water, and other necessities supplied mostly in boxes from the Churches of Christ Disaster Relief Fund. Gary recommended we go to the Long Beach church.

The boxes weigh about 60 pounds and contain several days’ supplies - food, water, paper stuff, plastic silverware, a paper-back Bible, and more for a family of four. Over 100 of them had been brought to the Long Beach church building. After a quick tetanus shot and a few minutes’ discussion with the preacher and two of the three elders, approximately 75 boxes were loaded on a borrowed trailer. People need them in Bay St. Louis.

On the way to Bay St. Louis that Friday night, we were called and told the targeted area was already being helped. We drove back to Long Beach.

Saturday morning a loosly assembled team from several congregations decided to take the boxes to somewhere in the Waveland/Bay St. Louis area. We figured if God wanted the food there, He would let us know where. We prayed about that.

The Iceman appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. (Aren’t there some words about angels being there and people not recognizing them? Not an exact quote, but, at least, it’s the gist of Hebrews 13:2.) His name was never discovered - “Just call me The Iceman.” His woodworking business had washed away but the old, beat-up, white pickup truck had not. Blue duct tape on the doors proclaimed his new, volunteer status, “Free Ice.” He picked up ice from the National Guard and delivered it to people who needed it. “I will show you a place west of Waveland where the people need those boxes.”

The convoy had to wait to leave the church parking lot while a tire on the trailer was plugged and inflated. Almost to the I-10 overpass, a tire blew out – rubber flew everywhere. Parked on the onramp, nine sets of eyes examined the remains. The other three tires didn’t look much better. The Iceman volunteered to go to his place. His boat trailer had a spare but there was general doubt that it would fit. He went anyway.

Across the road was a tractor trailer repair place which had just re-opened that morning. I walked there thinking maybe they had a tire. “We are trying to get food into Waveland and our trailer blew a tire. Do you have a 15-inch tire?”
Everyone dropped what they were doing including the clerk. They all went hunting. Lots of huge truck tires but no 15-inch ones. The owner was shouted out from under a big truck to search. Nothing.

“If I find a tire, will you mount it for us?”

“You find it, I’ll mount it.”

We both turned to walk away. A man who I thought was an employee walked up and asked if it would OK for him to throw away this old tire. The owner and I looked at him, then at each other, then at the tire, then back at each-other. It didn’t look like much but it was a 15-inch tire. The owner and I grinned - big grins - and the customer looked at us like were were both crazy.

To understand the context of this “surprise,” you have to understand that fifteen to twenty foot plies of flood debris was everywhere. This man could have dropped his tire anywhere including right in front of his house. God knew we needed a tire.

The “provided” tire was mounted even though it didn’t merit a lengthy warranty.

“Surprise” number two - back at the trailer the Ice Man’s boat trailer wheel and tire had fit. It wasn’t real pretty, either. Five tires that actually held air. God had decided He wanted us to have a spare. Why was I surprised? We had asked Him to show us what He wanted done.

By the time we drove another ten or so miles to Waveland the boat trailer tire was flat. The National Guard was unable to help but told us of the Goodyear store east on Highway 90 but, they said, there was no electric power in the city.

We still don’t know why or how, but the Goodyear store, and it alone that we saw, had power. (My Father is just full of surprises!) The lights were on and the air compressor worked. They, too, had re-opened that morning. We bought three tires, a new one, and two “good” used ones that had served as weights holding down the tarp on the roof.

God wanted food delivered door-to-door to the folks in the Bayside Park area of Waveland, Mississippi. One Iceman, three tires, two newly re-opened businesses, and an unknown power source (think about that one) later, the food was delivered by His hand.

Ed Ditto