“Whatever you do, do all for the glory of God." ~ 1 Corinthians 10:31
Not every hero wears a cape. Some
of them wear regular work clothes.
The personal tragedy that shaped this superhero’s life began
ten years earlier with the death of his 16-week-old son William. As he watched
the infant take his last breath, James Anderson promised the boy that he “would
be the man that he knew his son would’ve become.”
Four years later, the 52-year-old plumber and father of five,
received a “shocking” phone call that reminded him of that promise still etched
on his heart. At the other end of the line was a frail, elderly man who wanted
a second opinion after another plumber had quoted him thousands of dollars for
a new boiler he couldn’t possibly afford.
Anderson answered the call and found a simple solution
within thirty minutes. Unlike the previous plumber, he offered his services nearly
free of charge. The pledge to William helped him realize that his talents were
God-given and to be shared with those most vulnerable and often forgotten.
So, James shut down his private business in 2017 and started
a non-profit called DEPHER (Disabled & Elderly Plumbing & Heating
Emergency Repair) Services. Its purpose is to provide free or highly discounted
plumbing work to seniors and people with disabilities.
“As long as I have enough money to fill up the tank in my
car, I will be there to try and help people who need it,” he said. In the
two-and-a-half years since he launched his non-profit company, he’s helped nearly
2,400 customers working 70+ hours per week.
One of his clients recently shared an invoice on Facebook
that she received for work he’d done for her 91-year-old mother suffering from
terminal cancer. Instead of billing the family over $800, Anderson waived the entire
fee – the invoice read $0.00 due. What’s more, the bill added “I’ll be
available 24 hours to help keep you as comfortable as possible.”
Once the daughter shared the touching story on social media,
it immediately went viral. In addition to drawing well-deserved attention to DEPHER,
Anderson's humble rise to fame also brought in nearly $100,000 worth of
donations. It even caught the attention of Actor Hugh Grant.
Anderson explained that this will allow him to expand his
business to help as many people as possible. Something about helping others ignites
the soul and makes the heart burn all the brighter. It’s one of the greatest
blessings heaven can bestow.
Heavenly Father, thank You for caring for us
in our daily adventures. Thank You for guiding us in our decisions, and for forgiveness
when we stumble. And thank You for the many good people in my life who make up
the inner core of who I am. Amen
