It's so cool to see how God works. This past week I got to experience what grace looks like in a very tangible, practical way. Living in LA you simply have to own an automobile. I guess you could use public transportation if you really wanted to, but this place is so spread out it's pretty much a given that you have to have a vehicle to hold down any kind of job here. As many of you know, I brought my old 1995 Nissan Maxima out here with me. Handed down to me by my father, this vehicle has a little over 181,000 miles on it and has been taken very good care of all things considered. As it so turns out, this past week was a trying one for the old Maxima.
I had just checked the mail and got a check for a little over $500 for my last job. Combined with the $200+ dollars I currently had stashed away, this would more than cover my rent for the month and also give me a little something to live off of for food and gas. Needless to say, I was excited. February has been rough, work has been nonexistent and the whole industry is slowing down like an overweight jogger who bit off more than he could chew by entering that marathon race. Anyway, I was in route to the Wells Fargo bank in Chinatown, which is my favorite branch for two reasons: It's the closest one to where I live, and the tellers there are so friendly... I'm actually pretty sure they are all in love with me because every time I go there they all clamor for my attention to go to their window, and then when I get there they all blush and say things in hushed and hurried Chinese. Back to the car: I was driving along, when I suddenly detected a shuddering sensation coursing through the frame of the vehicle. I knew this wasn't good, and could tell I was in trouble when I stepped on the gas and nothing happened. I started to involuntarily grind to a halt in the middle of the road, so I quickly turned off the iPod and AC to divert all remaining power from the battery to the engine to simply keep me running.
I swerved into a CVS parking lot and made it into a parking spot before my car just died out right there. I put it in park, pull out the key, count to ten, then try to crank it up again. Nothing. Uh oh. This isn't good. I'm supposed to meet a friend for a movie later that evening, and this isn't a good situation to be in... I find a guy who's kind enough to jump me off with some jumper cables. From there I'm off to the nearest mechanic, right? Wrong. I try to keep on rolling towards the library, where I have to return some materials before it's too late. I end up in the center lane of a 5 lane road, right at the intersection of Broadway and Caesar E. Chavez Blvd. (formerly Sunset Blvd.) trying to make a left turn on a green arrow. Right there my car decides to die again. Great. It's rush hour, I'm in the middle of a huge intersection and traffic is surrounding me on all sides. I'd like to especially thank the drivers at this point who speed by honking their horns, flipping my off, and cursing at me. Gee, thanks so much fellas. I sure do appreciate it, seeing as how I planned to do this you know... idiots. Ah well, gotta love LA.
I call my father and explain the situation, I'm upset because it's beginning to dawn on me that this will cost money to fix, and that's money I was about to deposit at the bank to pay my rent with. I can't jump the car off again, (I try with the help of another kind soul who pulls up next to me), whatever the case is, the battery isn't holding the charge at all. I can't push my car out of the intersection (I mean, I know I'm freakishly strong and all, but seriously, I'm one man and this is rush hour traffic on all sides here...) I'm going to have to get a tow truck either way, so I call a few different places. I found out that the LAPD is apparently running a racket with the tow truck companies, because the first guy I talk to wants $1000 to put my car on the back of his flat-bed truck to take me about a mile to the mechanic. Yes, there are three zeros after that one, and yes, I told him to forget about it and hung up on the fool. I wasn't born yesterday you know...
I end up finding a guy who will do it for $40. Looks like that's the best deal I'm gonna get, so I hesitantly agree and he tows me to Radi's Mechanic Service right off of where I live on Sunset Blvd. A few hours later I've walked home, leaving my precious vehicle in the clutches of a mechanic who I don't know for them to fix it. The next morning I get a phone call and they inform me that this will cost about $400 to fix. On one hand, I have the money. On the other, that was my rent money. This is one of those moments where you really want to wake up from a dream (more like a nightmare) but are troubled to find you are awake and this is reality. I sigh and tell them to go ahead, I mean, after all, I need that car to live and work out here.
Later that afternoon I pray. I pray hard. I need money to pay for this AND get me through the month, not one or the other. I hop on everyone's favorite social networking website (facebook!) and chat with a few friends. Within about 20 minutes I'm humbled to learn that God has provided someone who want to pay for my mechanic bill. Wow. You really can't begin to know how I feel. I mean, here I am, simply telling someone what I've been through when they ask me "what's up" and within a few minutes, they've offered to foot the bill for my frustrations. I never even asked them to or expected them to. Talk about a clear picture of grace. They didn't want me to pay them back - ever - they wanted to give me the money as a gift and cover all my expenses for me. Wow. God sure is awesome in the way He answers prayer. This one He happened to answer quickly, and I'm forever grateful for His providence and provision to meet my needs.
And to my secret benefactor, whose name remains a secret per their request, I hope the Lord continues to use you to bless others. Thank you so much for letting Him use you to bless me. I now have the car back and money in the bank just like the whole incident never happened. Talk about the goodness of the Lord... I feel that this is a little picture of what the gospel is like. We're given something we don't deserve from someone who certainly doesn't have to give it to us, and yet He does. We can't pay Him back, otherwise it ceases to be a gift. The struggle is to live freely in that grace, and not become a slave to the feeling of indebtedness and try to work our way to a point of paying back our benefactor. Once again, when that happens, it ceases to be a gift. We just have to realize that we're not in control of the giving, but must be obedient and grateful with a heart of praise in the receiving of such a gift. It's beautiful really. God used this individual to express His love and provision to me in a small way, in order to help me better grasp the big picture of just how great of a debt He has paid for us. Thanks be to God for his faithfulness...
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