[Forwarded by a grif.net factory worker] I work in a major US factory. We
make refrigerators. Four thousand, five hundred new refrigerators every day
– but this focus is on one man who works in this huge factory.
I’ve seen him around for years but never paid much attention. He always
seemed just a little odd. A little short. A little …scruffy. Always the
same old red ball cap. And always a garbage bag in one hand. He walks around
this big old factory on his work breaks and on his lunch time collecting
aluminum cans. Day after day, month after month, on hot days and cold days.
Over the years I’ve followed him as he walked to his old pickup truck on the
coldest day with snow blowing and everyone with their collars turned up and
their hands in their pockets. He would be there with a 40 gallon garbage bag
full of aluminum cans. He’d toss it into the back of his truck and jump in
and I’d reach my car and jump in and we’d all race to the exit of this big
half empty parking lot.
Today I was working on a broken machine in this factory and the can man came
by with his bag picking up cans. Our manager was standing there because the
machine I was working on had been “down” for a couple of hours and he was
getting worried that we might run one of the assembly lines out of the
parts. I was finishing and I stood up just as the manager asked the can man
what he did with all those cans. I’d never thought to ask him that question
because I always just assumed he cashed them in at the recycle center.
The can man said “I give them to my neighbor. He’s epileptic and can’t hold
a job”.
I lifted up my head from the work and blurted out, “You mean you’ve been
collecting all those cans for all these years just to give to your
neighbor??”
“It ain’t much” he said “but I give them to him. He can’t hold a real job,
but he can take these cans to recycling and get joy out of being able to
help pay his bills”.
Right then and there in that dreary factory I found myself looking smack at
the face of Jesus. He was wearing a T-shirt and an old red ball cap and had
a garbage bag full of aluminum cans in his hand. It was one of the most
humbling moments of my life.
“Dear Lord, I offer my prayer for the can man and all others like him. I
don’t even know his name but You do. Lord, I lift him up to You. Bless him
and watch over him for his is surely one of your best foot soldiers. He is a
man whose feet I am unworthy to wash!! Thank you God for sending the can man
to help his neighbor and for the lesson he taught me. May I remember it long
after today. Amen!”
~~
Dr Bob Griffin
[email protected] www.grif.net
“Jesus Knows Me, This I Love!”