Wow, has this week been crazy. A couple weeks ago my well-loved car broke down. *sniffs* The hood started smoking, we pulled over, and as my husband, Tim, inspected everything and saw that the oil was milky – the engine block was broken.
Poor Linus. (that was my car’s name. Do you name your cars??)
Our three year old daughter heard Tim say that there was milky oil, but apparently she didn’t understand fully because she keeps talking sadly about how our car had trouble and got “milky Oreo”. I wish!
So last week we bought a new vehicle. Not brand new, but a 2010, low mileage in great condition, and I loooove it!! It’s a manual transmission, too, like my old car, which I really wanted!!! *squeals*
We got it last Thursday.
Monday, we got rear-ended on the interstate.
I don’t know what it is, but the same principle that seems to draw birds to just washed cars seemed to apply to our just-bought vehicle. We were all in the car, but we were not seriously hurt. I’ve been having to have a lot of therapy this week because I have an existing neck problem from being rear-ended by a drunk driver when I was a kid, and this aggravated the same issue. But we could have been a lot worse off.
And it got me thinking…. I really like this new vehicle we got, and I intend to take good care of it. But even so, there are some things that are out of our control. And even without the accident – where will this vehicle be in 30 years? Long gone, I’m sure. It’s so easy to get SO wrapped up in lots of everyday type activities and plans, and while we all have a lot to get done, do we forget about the things that will matter in 30 years? 60 years? 600 years?
Pretty quickly after our accident on Monday, this passage popped into my head:
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
Matthew 6:19-20
It’s nice to enjoy God’s blessings in this life, but let’s not forget that things here won’t last forever, and we need to be paying attention to the things that will.
aww…it's so frustrating to have to deal with these sorts of things, but sounds like you're handling it well and getting everything taken care of. growing up, my parents were FANATICS about their cars, and they lasted so long they almost became members of the family. i remember begging my dad not to sell his truck (who was born the same year as me) when i was in my 20s. it was like losing a childhood friend!
Aw, thanks. :)
I remember when my parents had to get rid of a car I loved from when I was a kid … I definitely empathize with the "losing a childhood friend" feeling! :)