Ron:
Owner Lizard Lick Towing
Author, Lizard Tales, (2012); Ordained minister
Married to Amy
Amy:
Co-owner Lizard Lick Towing
Office Manager
Accomplished power lifter
Licensed mortician
Married to Ron, Four children
GUESTS
Ron & Amy Shirley: Faith & Reality
By
The 700 Club
CBN.com
–LIZARD LICK TOWING
After leaving college due to a football injury, Ron decided to enter the automotive world. With several years of experience in the automotive industry Ron decided to dive into the world of repossessions. He and his wife Amy started Lizard Lick Towing (LLT) and Recovery in the spring of 1998 with a single truck. Over the past ten years the business has grown to include 15 employees and a fleet of 20 trucks which covers nine counties. “The most challenging part of this business is to love people who are being difficult,” shares Ron, an ordained pastor. He runs the day-to-day operations of the business, locates the property to be repossessed on behalf of lien holders, and he actually goes on the repo runs with longtime coworker Bobby Brantly. Bobby was a dissatisfied customer after Ron towed his truck. Then Bobby began working at LLT to pay off his debt. Amy, the office manager, deals with irate owners who want their property back. A former power lifter and licensed mortician, Amy doesn’t take anything from anyone. In dealing with dissatisfied customers she uses self control but is not afraid to defend herself.
The Lizard Lick Towing crew first appeared on the show All Worked Up on truTV in 2009. After proving to be one of the more popular re-occurring segments of All Worked Up, Lizard Lick Towing were given their own reality show. The show first premiered on February 7, 2011 with truTV and features the dramatic reactions of the company’s repossessions of vehicles which sometimes includes threats of violence and stabbings. Ron and Amy originally were going to be part of Wife Swap but turned them down. Lizard Lick Towing is a half hour program that airs on the truTV network on Monday nights - season 3 premiered June 11, 2012 with 2.7 million viewers.
COMING HOME
Amy was raised in a single parent home and grew up Southern Baptist. “We prayed before every meal,” shares Amy. Ron grew up going to church. His mom was a Christian, but his father was not. He drifted away from the Lord when he was eighteen. On his way to a Christian college, he was in a horrific car crash in which the passenger was burned to death. From there his life spiraled out of control for a fifteen year spree. He got involved in drugs such as cocaine, steroids, and alcohol. During this time in his life he had a couple of close calls with death when he was stuck by lightning and kicked in the head by a horse. Amy prayed for Ron many times during his darkest hours, but instead of telling him not to do certain things she chose to show him the right way to live by her actions. She went to church leading him in the right direction. Ron refers to Amy as his “God sent.”
Almost five years ago Ron had a prodigal son conversion experience that changed his life. After he had been reading through the Bible, a book he had not touched in years, he picked it up and could not stop the flood of tears that poured out of him. In that moment, he saw a pasture, and he was standing at its gate. Below him down the hill, he could see a house with soothing lights and serene music. He could see a Man at the entrance to the house with his arms spread. Ron felt unworthy to go towards the Man yet the Man beckoned him to come, “I do not care what you have done, I do not care what you have become, just come home, because I still love you.” Each time Ron tried to move towards the Man he realized he was chained at his feet entangled in the past. He then was given a key by the Man at the gate and was able to unlock the chains on his feet. Finally, free from his chains, Ron ran into the Master’s arms and heard these words, “Welcome home son, welcome home, your room is already prepared and a feast awaits you.” When he opened his eyes his wife was standing beside him praying with tears running down her face and his children were speechless. His wife said, “Ronnie, we are finally going to be going home together.” Instantly God intervened in his life. He stopped the foul language and God began to give him “Ronisms” or words of inspiration, humor, and healing that he uses on his show. He also stopped using drugs, steroids, and partying.
Ron uses the Lizard Lick Towing show as a platform to share his faith with children who are victims of sexual abuse and drug addicts. Through his job, he runs The Eastern Chapter of Dirt Church. “We stop in the fields, homes, and workplace to preach the gospel and bring one sheep at a time back across the pasture,” shares Ron. He and Amy also incorporate scripture into their website and all their merchandise. In the past, Ron has held an annual barbecue meal to help some of the people who have had their property repossessed by Lizard Lick Towing.
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