Choices and the Car Window

Most everyone would agree that life is about choices. Probably the greatest recurring theme that I have seen in the word of God in recent years would be about making good decisions. I believe that the greatest indicator that someone is “on track” with God is that they make better and better choices.

This in theory brings big “amen’s” but life puts it to the test...

Devin and I ran out to the car the other day to get to an appointment. It was parked just outside our house and when I opened the door, the window crumpled down. It had been shattered but the tint had held it together and it looked like a collage. I looked around and I saw a weed-wacker and other landscaping tools laying nearby and I remembered that a maintenance crew had been working near the car. I looked at the pattern on the broken glass and saw that a rock had probably hit the window. Though the equipment was there, the workers had all run off for a “break.”

I went to our housing association and they assured me that it is in the contract with the landscaping company that they must pay for any damage of this sort. I was relieved since we don’t exactly have a few hundred dollars extra in the cookie jar.

As it turns out, because our car is a year 2000 and an unusual model, the glass is not easy to find. The estimate that we got was from the Toyota dealer and was $225. This is much more expensive then most car windows could be repaired for but I was determined to hold the company to it.

When I talked to the association a few days later to follow up, I found out that the landscaping company wanted time to get new estimates from glass shops for non-original glass.

I was getting tired of driving with a shattered and taped window which not only looked terrible but was dangerous because I could not see to the left clearly. Every time I turned was a major event.

I explained that I did not want to wait any longer and that I expected the repairs to begin immediately. And I further explained that I did not want non-original glass. I envisioned something inferior that might not be a very good fit...

The guy at our association said that he would be happy to enforce my wishes if I demand it, but he explained to me that even though the landscaping company was paying for it, that the crew of 4 guys would be docked for the repair from their paychecks. They had already found a shop that would do the entire repair including the glass, labor and tint for $55. Quite a difference from the $225.

I started to think about those guys and the fact that it was an accident. I also thought about the fact that I really wanted original Toyota glass and that it is my right to demand it. I then swung back and thought about the fact that those guys make about $100 a month each and that I would be causing them each to lose almost a half months income just because I want original glass...

I wanted to take the high road and get the good glass by paying for it myself. A year ago when I was Pastoring a Church where I received a salary, I could have done that and would have done that. But the reality is that I simply cannot do that at this time. Bummer!

And so I decided to go with the cheaper customized glass in order to help these guys out who accidentally trashed my car. If I had insisted on the more expensive glass, I imagine that would have taken some or all of their kids Christmas gifts away. I must admit that when I’m driving down the street in the future, the thought that my window is “inferior” will bother me at times. I suppose that we all need experiences like this in order to get over ourselves... Good choices are hard to make because they prune us, but it is definitely for the better!

They pick my car up to take it for the repair tomorrow at 10am.