Daily Devotion | July 28, 2020

The Man with the White Car

by Rollie J.

For most of the weeks of our now gone summer, I have driven to and from work each day passing a sight most benign and mundane, quite ordinary if you will, and yet so very strange and noteworthy. On the north side of Wall Street as I make the turn by the gas station, sits a massive mound or long hill of clay. This clay had been piled up a few years back alongside the massive retaining pond from which it had been birthed to aid in flood control in our humble little Oakport Township.

Each gorgeous morning of our summer and early fall I would drive by the 200-yard-long pile of clay. Each day, there parked along the side of the road was a little white sedan.  Depending on when I passed by, there were usually 1-3 bulky dump trucks stirring up dust as they lined up to receive a load of clay to be delivered to some project off in parts unknown to me.

No matter when I passed by, morning, noon, or late afternoon the same white car was parked there, and the owner of that car was operating alternately a large faded yellow bull-dozer and a massive front-end loader. The times I passed by when no dump trucks were present, he was in the big dozer pushing the earth into large piles. I noticed he was methodical and calculating as to how he approached and tore apart the mountain of clay. Each day the mountain grew smaller.

When a dump truck showed up, he could be seen scooping huge amounts of clay with his giant front-end loader, maneuvering it with incredible skill and agility, forward and backward to scoop up, then dump the load with precision and neatness. His finesse with such heavy equipment showed incredible skill and mastery of machine. All the while an enormous American flag fluttered proudly in the wind above his yellow and black Clydesdale.

All of this is nothing noteworthy. But what caught my eye each evening, was that no matter how torn-up or chaotic, or messy, or destroyed the job site had been during the day, it was ALWAYS returned to a smooth, gently sloped, pleasing to the eye, symmetrically shaped hill. No matter if I drove by early in the morning before work hours, or late in the evening running errands, there was always a pleasing, well groomed, safely sloped hillside!

I began to pay attention! I mean if it were me, and if I’m going to start over tomorrow doing the same thing, tearing apart a mountain, and load it on to trucks, why would I bother to clean up and neatly groom the hill? Am I just going to make the same mess tomorrow? Why waste all that time grooming and tidying up. As the days turned into weeks, and weeks into months I came to greatly admire the man with the white car. He was sooo good at what he did. He must care deeply about what he does. He must take great pride in his work. He must stand for quality, dedication and hard work. He must have believed in excellence over mediocrity. He certainly went beyond the average and chose the extra mile. Each day I found myself affirming the man, blessing him, and appreciating him in my thoughts.

But there was one huge problem… the affirmations, the blessings, and the appreciating never made it outside my head. The words of appreciation remained in my private thoughts. And as much as I might wish that just by simply thinking good words and blessings for this man I could affect him, the reality is… those thoughts would never reach that man if I did not speak those affirmations with my tongue directly to him, face to face, man to man. Oh, believe me, I thought about it dozens of times. But that would be so awkward, right? I mean who drives into a constructions site and tells a dozer guy that he’s doing a terrific job? That’s crazy stuff, right? Why does a macho, blue-collar, heavy-equipment operator need an “Atta Boy” anyway?

Finally, my conscience screamed loud enough to make me put my money and words where my beliefs are. So, last week I gathered up my courage, shifted my FJ Cruiser into 4x4 and drove into the bumpy and muddy job site. I could mentally just hear him saying “What in the heck is this little guy doing in here where the big boys play?” I shut off my vehicle, stepped out and self-consciously walked over to where he was perched high above me in the front-end loader. He shut it off as I climbed the ladder to the cab. Swallowing hard, as he opened the cab window, I awkwardly blurted out; “Hey I just wanted you to know that you do a fantastic job out here. I’ve been watching you each day for months all summer and I can tell you really care about what you do, and I appreciate how you make this hill so neat and tidy each day. You do a great job. Just wanted you to know that.” Phew!!!

A beaming smile grew across his face and his shoulders drew back and he appeared to sit a little taller in the saddle. I paraphrase his response: “Well you know, a man’s gotta take pride in what he does! Got to do the best he possibly can. If you don’t take pride in your work it’s a reflection of your character. Ya know I just love what I do.” He pointed upward towards his giant American Flag. “Did you notice the flag? I’m pretty damn proud of that too!”

Yes, I did, and so much more. Roman, was his name, and he appeared more than grateful that I would stop, pay attention to, and point out the quality and character of his work. He appeared blessed by both my visit and my words. Funny thing is, as I drove off through the job site, I rode a little taller in my saddle knowing that I had made someone else’s day.

You and I have been blessed, to be a blessing. We can do that with our time, our money, and our possessions, but one of the most practical, simple and most effective ways that we can bless others is through our words both written and spoken. You may think the world of someone, you may believe they stand for excellence, you may have strong admiration for one of their qualities or positive attributes, you may have witnessed them perform a superb act or seen them do incredible work, you may have seen them perform heroically under pressure, you may have felt a positive mark and impact on your life from them … but if those words remain silently stored in your head… then you have wasted an opportunity to be a blessing. And they have missed out on an incredible blessing that maybe only you can bestow upon them. Thinking an affirmation, a kind word or a blessing does NOT COUNT! Thinking it does no one any good. You must act with courage to speak out loud or on paper your truth!

Have you blessed your kid’s soccer or hockey coach with a kind note of appreciation for their passion, expertise, or investing in your child? Have you told the Starbucks window lady that her bright smile has bettered your day? Have you shaken hands with and looked into the eyes of your child’s Sunday school or confirmation teacher and thanked them for loving on your son or daughter?  Bosses, have you noticed the excellence and success of your employees and made a big deal of it with them? Employees, have you paused to stop in your boss’s office to offer a kind word of thanks or appreciation for their leadership, their compassion or expertise? (Often, it’s a lonely and unappreciated life at the top) Can you notice and point out to your next Hornbacher’s check-out clerk when they are kind, friendly and helpful to you? Have you thanked an influential teacher or coach for investing in you? Can you offer up a kind word or handshake to the Walmart greeter that most people walk by? Would you dare to buy a homeless man a McDonalds meal and fellowship with him? Have you heard a sermon that blessed you… did you seek out the preacher or text them a thank you? Or simply walk out the door like most of us? Have you noticed, paid attention to and commented on a kind or well-done act by your husband or wife? Did he cook a delicious meal? Did she clean the laundry room to high standards? Did his latest yard or house project go unnoticed or worse yet un-thanked in sincere ways?

You and I have tremendous power to use both our tongue and our brain to impact the world in positive ways for Jesus. We CAN make a difference in peoples lives in simple, easy ways by just paying attention to and then acting with a blessing or kind word. And the greatest benefit of living your life with affirmations and blessings is that you get blessed by doing it!

Here’s a challenge for you; Ever notice who some of the most content, full of life, charismatic, energetic, beloved people are? They are the ones that have mastered the art of affirmation; noticing, paying attention to and acting on blessing others with their words! They have learned to do it continually as an everyday habit!

May you have the courage to speak the words that have been given to you in your heart and head. Go out and bless someone in Jesus name! In the immortal words of Dirty Harry; “ Go ahead Punk… make someone’s Day!”

Rollie J.

Praise only works with three types of people: men, women, and children.

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things!
Philippians 4

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:11

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Ephesians 4:9

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
-Leo Buscaglia

The biggest secret of dealing with people:
Give honest and sincere appreciation.

Dale Carnegie

Let us spur on one another towards love and good deeds.
Let us encourage one another.

Hebrews 1-:24-25

 

< Return to Sermons & Devotions