Car Hunting
I don't know about anyone else but hunting for a car is like pulling teeth for my family. We look and look then even when we've found something we like we still keep looking--at the overall cost, at the expected resale value, etc. This has created some tension in my home over the past several weeks. This morning after another failed attempt over the weekend to purchase a car I liked, I made a comment to my husband that has since caused me to start thinking more deeply than just choosing a car color. He was talking about how we have changed over the years from just being grateful that we have a car that gets us where we are going to having to have the biggest and best. My snappy response was I haven't changed. My thinking was that even way back then it wasn't that I was satisfied with just what I could get. It was just all I could get at the time and I looked forward to when I could choose what I wanted. So I haven't changed. In the hours that have passed since that remark, I have been convicted by my own words. What a sad statement about me if I haven't changed in 30 years! My sweet husband has always been so much better than I at keeping his wants from becoming his needs. To him a car is simply a way to get from point A to point B and it really doesn't matter to him what it is. To me a car is a reflection of who I am and while it's most important in getting me to those places I need to go, how I get there is a big deal. There in lies the root of our tension. Today as I consider my statement about not changing, I find myself looking once again to God to change me in my relationship to money and status and make me more humble as well as more grateful for what I have. I don't need the biggest and best SUV on the market nor do I need the best red car I can find. I just need something that will get me from point A to point B in a safe and timely manner. My prayer is that God will forgive me for my greed and bless me with a much gentler nature. I've heard that the first step to change is knowing there is a need. I am very grateful that the Spirit opened my ears to really "hear" the words that jumped out of my mouth this morning.
posted by Dana @ 12:49 PM
1 Comments:
You and the rest of America! It's hard not to fall into the "stuff" trap. I wonder if it would be easier if we didn't have so many choices. Here is what put it into perspective for our family. All of our car hunting has been the direct result of accidents. (2 minivans totaled - 4 years apart) In those situations, time was a luxury we didn't have. We've always been a 1 car family, and there are 5 of us now. While shopping for new minivans, "New" meant new to us. We didn't care about resale value because we knew we'd be driving it until it died, or we do. Dependability, good safety ratings, good gas mileage, room for 2 car seats, a booster seat, and two large adults. That's what we needed and that's what we found. I was and am very grateful. But I still find myself wishing for a second vehicle, or a new shiny minivan with fold-into-the-floor seats. It's our human nature to keep wanting more. Contentment is sometimes a hard thing to come by. I am thankful God loves us and keeps on working on us to make us who He wants us to be! Way to go for recognizing your area of needed growth. Oh what the Spirit can do with a willing heart! God Bless You!
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