The first car I remember was my parent's 1952 Chevy. Blue, purchased before I was born, from Milam Chevrolet Company, "the Downtown Dealer," in San Antonio, Texas. 8-26-1952. I can still remember this two door, blue Chevy, that they owned until 1959, when my Grandpa bought a new 1959 Buick Electra 225, silver gray with red leather interior. He then sold his 1956 Buick Special to them. Cool car-two door, yellow and white, with huge, long doors. Which lasted until 1962, when they went into the automobile doldrums in the sixties with a string of Ramblers. Which was devastating for a young, car crazy kid. Fast and Rambler never were used in the same sentence. Nor was cool.
Some of my earliest memories with friends like Bruce and Barry was going to Westfield and looking at new cars. Sitting in the new Mustangs on the floor at Westfield Ford, under the careful eye of the salesman. Their dad had bought one there, and that seemed to give us visiting rights-not available at many other places. We didn't mean any harm, but still had danger written all over us. Up a couple of blocks to Norris Chevrolet, where Corvairs, Corvettes, and SS396's made us drool. But would always leave chanting "cheap Chevrolet , beep beep!" due to the fact we were chased out one too many times. Oh, to have those trips back today. I'd be happy to have a red 1965 SS327 Impala like Gary Aldingers. Cheap-not today. Lindemann Buick was for old people, as was Reilly Oldsmobile-except for the 442, these really were your father's Oldsmobile. And sadly today, like many of our fathers, Olds is gone, too. Rotchford Pontiac, GTO's on the lot to look at. We used to love all the Tiger ads and the freebies we took from the showroom.
And on South Avenue, Miller Rambler, with little reason for a car crazy kid to go into, and the Lincoln Mercury dealer, which had just gotten Cougars. They changed owners so often I can't remember the name. Yes, 1965, was a great year to be a car crazy kid, and the only real problem with it for an eleven year old was not being able to enjoy them for another six years-the driving age in Jersey was 17. But we sure travelled a lot of miles, and did a lot of burnouts in our minds while visiting these showrooms. And somehow, a romance with cars that seems missing today, was in every young kid's heart. No Toyotas, the VW was the foreign car, and you had to go all the way to Plainfield to see one at Union County Motors, and no one did burnouts in a bug. Yep, cars built in the US of A were king, and to enthusiasts today, the cars of our childhood still are. And sadly as far out of reach monetarily today, as they were age wise to us then. But that has never stopped us from dreaming, or desiring even a ride in one. Just to relive memories we never had, or to imagine what it might have been like. And I can still remember Scottie's brother Doug, whose friend had a 1962 Corvette. Who was cool to us young kids, he was in high school, and very old to us. One day letting us sit in his car, then driving to the end of Algonquin Drive, and turning around-a ride of maybe 1000 feet, but which seemed like a hundred miles at the time. It was blue, with whitewalls and spinner hubcaps. Why don't they build cars and memories like that anymore?
It has been said we look to the past because we have no hope in the future. And this may be legitimate. As the whole world continues to crumble around us, whether financial, wars, diseases, or as of this morning, earthquakes and tsunamis, it is hard to be excited about the future. But we have this blessed hope in Jesus Christ, and all these things only tell us that His time of return is near. There will be scoffers, who make fun of us saying "where is the promise of His return, I thought you said He was returning?" Not realizing, it is for them that He hasn't, since He is patient and wishes none should perish. But that for thousands of years His prophecies have been true-spot on, and Daniel warns us that all these things will happen to the last generation. How exciting that we may be part of that one-who never sees death, but who will experience the rapture?
It has been said we look to the past because we have no hope in the future. And this may be legitimate. As the whole world continues to crumble around us, whether financial, wars, diseases, or as of this morning, earthquakes and tsunamis, it is hard to be excited about the future. But we have this blessed hope in Jesus Christ, and all these things only tell us that His time of return is near. There will be scoffers, who make fun of us saying "where is the promise of His return, I thought you said He was returning?" Not realizing, it is for them that He hasn't, since He is patient and wishes none should perish. But that for thousands of years His prophecies have been true-spot on, and Daniel warns us that all these things will happen to the last generation. How exciting that we may be part of that one-who never sees death, but who will experience the rapture?
What things do you say? Read Ezekiel 37, 38, 39. Daniel 7 and 12. And see how the events of the last days are portrayed, events talked about thousands of years ago. Foretold by God. Events no FX or mind can imagine. The end of the world maybe for some, but the beginning of life for Christians. And like Pastor Ray says, "I used to have to read the Bible for prophecy, now I can turn on the news."
As precious as the past was, the future will be even more exciting. But only if you spend it with God. Now is the day of salvation. Don't hesitate. As kids we eagerly anticipated driving the cars from the showrooms in our dreams. And that hope of expectation kept our dreams alive. Someday, we told ourselves, I'll have on. As kids we hoped for our own blue Chevy. Or red SS327. Or an orange GTO. Even a silver Mustang. Some still do. Are we looking forward with the same expectation for the return of Christ? I hope so-the news today will be the prophesies from yesterday. Foretold in love, by a God who wants to spend eternity with you. A message that has never gone out of style.