“You are what you drive,” was a common theme when I started driving over 40
years ago. And I must have started as a nerd, for the first two cars I drove
were my parents 1966 Rambler Classic, replaced by a 1971 Pinto. Now nobody who
knows cars, or was a gear head drove Ramblers, but my dad did, and he used to
taunt me, “it’s not a car, it’s a Rambler.” But then he was driving a BMW 2002
at the time. But it was replaced with the Pinto, which I shared with my mother,
which ultimately fell apart, at one point the carburetor vibrated loose from the
intake manifold, and it quit running. Giving Found On Road Dead a whole new
meaning to me. From there I bought my Dad’s BMW 1600, which self destructed,
another story in itself, and then bought one of the first Rabbits in the
states. Which surged all the time, never ran right, and spent as much time in
the shop as it did on the road. This was to become my first experience with
loaner cars, the neighbors must have thought I was stealing them, as a new car
appeared weekly, or was it weakly? But it too was sold, and my van replaced
it-selling it to move to New Mexico. Where my next car was, you guessed it,
another Rabbit. It must have been the thought of an endless stream of loaners
that drew me to it, but another yellow Rabbit, followed me home. A Basic
Rabbit, no options, and I mean basic, cardboard door panels, no radial tires,
rubber floor mats, no radio, and the tinniest sounding car you could ever
imagine. And it too was to become tiresome, on Christmas Eve I filled it with
gas, and the gas was bad, I never made it out of the parking lot. The station
paid for the repairs, but my first thought, but not my last was “oh no, here I
go again,” so much for the first time my fault, second time yours” philosophy.
But the best was yet to come...or go.
Bob Allen was a friend who had gotten saved in Chicago, from a tough
background. He worked for Hosanna, and was going to visit friends back in
Chicago for the first time in years, and the first since he was saved. But he
needed a car, and the Rabbit sat most of the time, I rode motorcycles most of
the time. Stunned when he asked, I was referred to Acts 2:42, where the church
met and prayed, and needs were met. Here was a need, and I could help, so off
to Chicago Bob and the Rabbit went. And never thought much about it, he would
be gone for two weeks, and I was busy at work, and never really missed the
Rabbit. But being wakened early one morning by a phone call from Chicago was to
change that. It was Bob, he had been in an accident with the Rabbit. And my
first reaction amazed both of us, “are you OK?” Before it would have been all
about the car. It seems he had gone to see some old friends, and after sharing
the Lord with them, they turned on him. When he tried to escape in the Rabbit,
he turned down a one way street, the wrong way, and had an accident. He was OK,
but the Rabbit was totaled. But somehow I wasn’t upset...maybe the shock, maybe
glad that Bob was OK, but I had a peace.
Until the insurance adjuster called, and I had never dealt with a situation
like this before. Hey I was only 22 years old, and only saved a year.
Suspicious of the adjuster, as we all are, I was told they would find a
comparable Rabbit in the paper for sale, for comparison purposes to find a
price. Which scared me, used cars are always cheaper, aren’t they, after all
they are used? I knew what the Basic Rabbit had cost, and I knew what I owed on
it, and was waiting to find out how bad a beating I was going to take. My
friends were all praying for me, and told me it would turn out OK, just the
words you want to hear, but don’t want to hear at the same time. So when the
phone rang, and it was the insurance adjuster, I was apprehensive, but still
hoping. Good news. It turned out the only Rabbit for sale was loaded with all
the options. Deluxe interior, stereo, radials, air conditioning, stripes, and
the list went on. She told me the price, and not paying attention didn’t hear
it at first. Then she told me about my deductible, and gave me a total payout
for the Rabbit. “Repeat that again,” I asked, and she did. I was being paid
more for my totaled Rabbit, after the deductible than I had paid for it new!
The difference between Basic and loaded made me enough money to pay off the
loan, and pay cash for a 1973 El Camino! What had started out as a disaster,
God turned into a blessing!
I had obeyed what God put on my heart about loaning Bob the Rabbit, against
others telling me no, and God had taken care of me in the midst of adversity. I
felt like Joseph in the well one minute, then handing out food to my brothers
the next. God truly had, and has a plan for me, and in adversity, He was there
taking care of me. A huge surprise to me, and Bob, was no surprise to Him.
Driving the message home, literally, of how Jesus cares for His flock, and in
adversity in our weakest moments, His strength is made perfect. A simple thing
like loaning a car to a friend, had turned disastrous to the unsaved. But in
God’s economy would prove a blessing. Far beyond the money, I learned to listen
to the Spirit, and trustingly obey. I had everything to lose, and could have,
but for the grace of God.
So still today maybe you still are what you drive. Or in my case, what you
ride. And I ride Triumphs, and triumph in my relationship with a loving God.
Who knew that afternoon in Chicago that Bob would total my Rabbit, and that 2000
miles away in Albuquerque only one would be for sale to compare it with. So
take heart, God is in control, Acts 2:42 is true, and don’t miss any opportunity
to be blessed by being a blessing. A third Rabbit would enter my life a few
years after, another deal where they messed up on the contract, and I paid some
$400 under dealer cost for the car. Cal Worthington may have had his dog Spot,
I’ll take Jesus any time. Acts 2:42, driving the message home about a loving
God.
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com
Acts 2:42
42 ¶ And they continued
steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread
and in prayers