Tuesday while swapping bikes with Mickey, I wondered into the car collector shop next door. Now I love old cars, and have been reading about them and going to car shows for almost 40 years. My library is intense. But without knowing it, the owner had me at a disadvantage talking about cars. He was showing me his two Chrysler products, a 1955 300 and an Imperial. And for once, I listened intently to what he was saying, because for whatever reason, I have never owned a Chrysler, or any of its products. As cars they have never done anything for me, or to me. Growing up Lenny's mom had a mid-fifties De Soto, pink, black, and white with the shift lever sticking out of the dash-how uncool. Joey's dad a 1961 Seneca, the year they put the fins on backward-ugly, and who can forget looking into your friends shoulder as they put the rear view mirror on the dash. And the asymmetrical front seats. Maybe it was the old "Chrysler crank," remember that horrible noise their starters made? For any of the above, or some reason unknown to me-Chryslers, Dodges, the now deceased Plymouths, and the long gone DeSotos never made an impact on me.
And outside of Nippy, and his Dart with the slant six, no friends had Chryslers either. Can't even remember a single friend, who during the super car era owned one. SS396's were a dime a dozen. As were Camaros. Mustangs were everywhere. Big V-8 Chevies and Pontiacs, you could tell the car by the way it sounded. But never, for whatever reason, Chryslers. And they made some great cars, I'm told.
Hemis-a car built around a legend and an engine. And today they hope the legendary name will bring them new business as they call their hi-performance engine a Hemi-although it really has wedge shaped heads. But you can say you own a Hemi, even if no one knows what it is, or really isn't. But for some reason, the history intrigues me more than the car, but not enough to have any books about their products in my library. Great names have been associated with the company. The Dodge Brothers. Owens, Breder, and Skelton, great engineers into the thirties. From styling in the fifties so staid a gentleman could still wear his hat, to a few years later bragging "suddenly it's 1960..." in 1957, even the styling left me cold. Third place in a two man race. Richard Petty won in them, then switched to Pontiac. Remember Lee Iacocca selling the miserable K-cars? The first minivan, right again, in 1984 was a Chrysler product. The so-called great government bailout-Chrysler again. They bought the vestiges of American Motors to get Jeep, and then were raped by Daimler Benz, and sold at fire sale prices, it seems the company is more famous than the cars. And in a world known for product, maybe that is why. And the closest I ever came to owning one is before they bought Jeep and I sold them. 12 years before. And for some reason, it bothers me that I have no interest in them. So while listening to this man speak, his cars were nice, but the 1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser interested me more, he spoke of the cars lovingly. And for a few seconds, I was interested. But being within 20 feet of all the motorcycles at Mick's, I lost interest fast. Leaving me with one question, why was this guy so passionate about Chryslers? And I wasn't?
Have you ever tried to go out witnessing, and blew it? For one thing, I am amazed you can flip a switch to go witnessing, since we are called to be witnesses. How do you turn off/on Jesus And how some study the right words, to have the right answers, only to find the questions are different. Was it wrong answers, or wrong questions? And talking with Pastor Scott we were joking about the lengths people go to to share Jesus. The Four Spiritual Laws, for instance. I don't know them, and my answer is always don't the law and the spirit come into conflict? Which has never failed to cheese off whoever was asking me. I don't know where the Roman's Road is. Italy? And I have been a lot of places. What would Jesus do? Christian, you have to ask? And last night an old friend told me that I should use my sales training to evangelize more. Talk people into Jesus. I guess he meant well-I hope. And somehow, like my lack of interest in Mopars, they don't get it. Jesus told His disciples that the holy spirit will give you words when you need them. And since the holy spirit guides us into all truth, and points people to Jesus, who actually saves them, all the other training is a waste of time to me. Trust God! He doesn't need you, but wants you to stand by in readiness so He can use you , and you can be blessed. Were you saved by clever words or misleading advertising? Did Jesus run an introductory special the day you got saved? Were you offered a rebate if you get saved now? Or did you think that you were a Christian just because you joined a church, or filled a pew?
Trust God. He is the only one you can trust. He sought you long before you ever thought about Him. He is the one who gave and gives you passion for Christ. And in a simple 25 word statement, John 3:16, gives you the meaning of life. Then it is your decision. Based in the heart, and confessed with the mouth. It's all about Jesus!
Maybe it's because DODGE stands for Drips Oil, Drips Grease Everywhere, when BIBLE stands for Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. But truly it is about a passion, and about a man who put it into my heart, and then my life. It is all about Jesus. And to me, anything else is just another car.
love with compassion,
Mike
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