My friend Chris owns a forklift shop.  He’s the poster boy for hard working, crusty “blue collar” guys, one who has managed to become a pretty successful business owner.  He’s one of those “in your face” guys who puts some people off, a high school dropout, former lawbreaker, car racer, and hell-raiser who really loves Jesus (for which the general population is very thankful).  He’s also one of the most generous, passionate guys I know, and I have benefitted from his wisdom and counsel over the past few years.  I was in his shop last week and he told me a story I thought was so cool I wanted to capture it and share it here with you, since he’d never write it up on his own.  This is pretty much how he told it to me:

So I’m getting off the freeway at McCarran in Sparks, heading to my shop in my F350, and at the end of the off-ramp there’s some homeless guy standing with a sign asking for something, like usual.  I instantly went into judging and condemning the guy in my mind, ripping him a new one for being lazy, using people…you know, my normal routine. Suddenly God sort of grabbed me by the neck and said, “Who are YOU to condemn that man?”  I’m not kidding.  It was like I got hit in the face or something. I began to think, “This guy is probably ten times the man I am, and here I am summing up his life as his judge and jury.”  I was crushed.

Then I heard God say, “Go give him some money.”  I was not in the left lane, where he was standing.  I was in the right turn lane, and there was a lot of traffic waiting for the light to turn green.  I began to think about all the reasons I couldn’t get to him right now…the traffic light could turn any minute, I’d be leaving my truck to go over to him and if the light turned, well, I’d be blocking traffic.  Excuses.  Just then the light turned green and traffic began to move. “Oh well,” I thought, feeling somewhat relieved.  I put my foot to the accelerator and, “BAM!”…the transmission blew up.  I was dead in the water, right there in traffic. Couldn’t move.  

But wait…it gets better.  Guess who helped me push my truck to the side of the road?

I kept fumbling through my pockets to grab all the cash I had as I was fumbling out loud for what to say to the man.  I think I probably just mumbled something like, “I don’t know, man…it’s just a God thing…just a God thing” as I thanked him and handed him a fistfull of bills.  

I called my office and had someone bring a flatbed to load my truck onto and hauled it to my shop.  I had them unload it in the corner of the yard where I let it sit for a couple of weeks, a visual reminder of my own pride…and the grace of God.  Cost me three grand to get that tranny rebuilt.  

Best three grand I ever spent.