MENNONITES

I do not judge people generally by a race or religion but I am guilty of judging the Mennonites as a group. I lived in Sarasota Florida years ago when I got out of high school. I was exposed to that particular group of people in such a way that I can't forget. Over fifty years can't fade the memory.


It had been raining for hours and I was living in a flood prone area near the Phillipe Creek. I shined my flashlight on the floor and saw the water creeping up the dresser legs. It was about ankle deep but I wasn't too concerned, just not able to sleep. All valuables in the house were piled as high as possible in case the waters got higher. The power had been cut off for the whole neighborhood. It was dark , stuffy and the rains just kept coming in sheets. The sound on the roof was deafening.


I didn't want to get my feet wet but my curiosity was killing me so I pulled on my rubber boots I had dug out for the occasion and sloshed towards the window to see what it looked like out side. Before I could look out, I spied a face looking back in. Did not know I could scream that loud. Maggie , whom I was renting from, and her young daughter in the next room also started screaming just because I was. They couldn't see what I saw but knew it must be bad.


"It's me---- Buddy, " a familiar face shouted reassuringly over the storm and our screaming. " I have come to get you out." Buddy and his wife were close friends of Maggie's.


"We are all right, " I shouted back, " The water is only inches deep."

"Look again." Buddy hollered, as he shown his light around.

The water outside was almost window high. I guess the house was fairly water tight. That would cease when the water reached the windows. Maggie and Barbara came into my room and panic pretty much ruled when they saw Buddy standing in the middle of a lake that had been the front yard. Buddy could not open the door as it opened out. He said the only way out was through the window. I went out first into the cold, stinking water, then Margaret. Last, Buddy lifted the still crying Barbara out and he carried her.The water was almost chest high on me and the current was strong, but we hung on to Buddy and finally made it to higher ground and his car.


When the water receded in a few days, we went back. My car was shot and Maggie's little sports car was gone. Newspapers had reported that a small red car had been seen floating down the creek during the storm. It was never found.


Then we entered the house. A coral snake was curled up by the door. I managed to shoo it outside with a broken tree branch. Mud and mole crickets, which I had never seen before, covered the floor. Mole crickets are really loathsome looking creatures. God was not at his best the day he made them. The sewers had backed up so the smell was awful. Five feet of muddy water had painted the walls brown. All the carefully elevated treasures were ruined. Though we were not aware of it at the time, Maggie was in the beginning stages of a nervous breakdown. A recent bad divorce,then this, took its toll.


Furniture had fallen apart from floating in the foul waters. The enormity of what was facing us was sickening. That was when we heard the tapping at the open door. There at the door stood a Mennonite man , his wife and about 6 friends. The Mennonites had a large colony not too far from this subdivision. For those who don't know, Amish are a religious sect that split from the Mennonites in the 16Th century. Their theological difference stemmed from disagreement over infant baptism. They have similar beliefs but the Mennonites do allow automobiles and electricity in their lives in today's world. I have enormous respect for both the Amish and the Mennonites. The Plain People were easily identified by their dress. The men in dark trousers, suspenders and white shirts and the women in long dresses and white caps.


The leader stood at the door and said in a gentle voice."We have come to clean your house. You can stay or leave as you wish." I looked out in the yard and they all carried buckets, mops and cleaning items. Margaret started to cry, I fought it fiercely and Barbara sniffled because it seemed the thing to do. They promised to carry all the ruined furniture to the street where the city promised to pick it up. We gathered up our ruined clothes in hopes that 15 washings might restore them but it was a futile effort. Only thing to survive was jewelry.


We left them there to attend to laundry and that selfless group of people tackled the impossible task. They will never know how they helped to shoulder a heavy burden that day. They were gone when we got back and so was the mud. The sewers smell was replaced with the smell of Clorox. Everything was still stained but disinfected.


I would like to think I would help strangers like that but I seriously doubt that I am that selfless a person. I will quickly give you money, food or clothing, but would I work that hard for a total stranger? I don't know. They did not hesitate. Their large colony tackled the entire subdivision.

I have such a love for them that today when I see the familiar dress and caps, I go up to them and ask,"Are you Mennonite?" If they say yes, I just say "Thank you," and try to explain my thanks. They usually look confused, like why do I think that was special? It is just what a person does.

That attitude along with the deed, makes them indeed very special.