Having spent a major portion of my life restoring classic automobiles, I’ve learned how important it is to work with the right equipment. I retired from restoring classics about the same time my son Jason, who had operated an excavation company out of the same building, also decided to change career paths.
“Let’s have giant garage sale! Yea, let’s get that stuff outta here…heaven knows we don’t need it anymore!”
We must have been out of our minds! We owned tools most men would die for: welders and machines, compressors and air tools. We even sold the hydraulic lift (you know, that big two-post affair that lifts your vehicle into the air so your mechanic can walk under, whistle, and emerge to say, “Wow! This is gonna be expensive!” Yeah, that one).
Well, I’ve been repurchasing tools ever since at twice what the others sold for. I know…stupid is as stupid does. But all that is hydraulic fluid under the tow motor now; time to move on.
And move on we have. We’ve since sold that place and moved in with Marilyn’s father. I no longer work on classics professionally, but I still love to tinker with cars. I built a new shop and am slowly refilling an empty tool chest.
This past winter, Marilyn graciously surrendered to my pleas for a new auto lift, declaring something about every Christmas and Birthday for life.
To save on shipping costs, Jason and I took off for Indianapolis where we watched as the nearly two-ton piece of equipment was carefully loaded onto a borrowed truck. Because we have ready access to my brother-in-law’s fork lift, we envisioned downloading it directly into the garage.
Excuse the play on words but, long range planning has never been my long suit. When we arrived home it quickly became apparent I had a problem. You see, I had allowed for enough ceiling height for the lift…once it was inside the building. But I hadn’t measured the garage doors into the building. We could unload the truck, but we couldn’t fit the package with the forklift into the building.
I had heard how Henry actually had to cut the side of his shed open to remove the very first Ford he built! But the fact that I was in good company didn’t solve my problem. I had to find a way to lift the lift.
You’ve heard the expression, “He pulled himself up by his own bootstraps”? Have you ever thought about that phrase? It’s impossible to pull yourself up by your own bootstraps. And there we stood Jason and me; each bent over, pulling on our own bootstraps.
This is so indicative of my spiritual walk. I too often assume I can do it on my own…yanking on my own bootstraps. I huff and puff until I have the good sense to call on God for help.
I’ve discovered the Lord is incredibly faithful in these situations. He promises to listen and provide eternal wisdom. Saint James writes about this in the Scriptures –
“If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it.” James 1:5
In this passage James explains God doesn’t promise to give us “the answer” but wisdom. Wisdom is a much greater gift than an answer. If God provides the wisdom we need, we arrive at right thinking first, making it more likely we’ll discover the right answer. I’ll take godly wisdom over an answer any day.
So there we stood, scratching our heads over the lift that wouldn’t lift itself. I proudly passed onto my son an honored tradition I received from my father, “Let’s get a cup of coffee, this’ll wait.”
I pondered this wisdom as I slowly unpacked the apparatus and arduously tugged each piece into the shop.
Read Ron’s column, Simple Faith, each Saturday on the Faith Page (page 3) of the Lancaster Eagle Gazette, or visit www.lancastereaglegazette.com.