More Than a Clunker

More Than a Clunker

God really does take care of those who follow Him. We are king’s kids and “He don’t want us driving no junk”. In spite of the fact that I am a retired pastor on disability, putting kids through college, on a fixed income, my wife and I just love our shiny black Lincoln Continental. We enjoy the V8 power, recline in the plush leather seats, relax in air conditioned comfort as we drive on the air soft suspension.

The fact that our Lincoln is 14 years old does not take away from any of the comfort we enjoy. We are genuinely thankful for our shiny old black Lincoln Continental. It strikes me how much more we can appreciate and enjoy material things as followers of Christ. There is no doubt in my mind that we enjoy that 14 year old car many times more than the wealthiest executive on the fanciest private jet on the way to Washington. So already the Lincoln in the driveway is more than a "clunker."

It was sad news when my wife called after a suicidal deer on a dark road chose to take his final leap in front of our big black Lincoln. The bumper was damaged, grill cracked, the full light assembly was damaged, the fiber glass hood and fender were both cracked. There were no injuries aside from the poor troubled deer but immediately “Cash for Clunkers” ran through my mind. Our particular car did not qualify, however, so we began to consider repair.

I began checking online for salvage parts, looked up the number of a friend who helped with a previous accident, trying to figure out what we could or should do. The parts even from a salvage yard would be well over $1,000 plus shipping. The new parts would need to be painted etc. etc. It was looking like clunker heaven for our black, shiny favorite car. It was obviously in God’s hands and we live with the confidence that He does provide for His children. I had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease 9 years ago. We were looking at 15 to 20 years of income that would not come in. God has His ways. Somehow we live in a beautiful, small house of our own and have put four children through college and we eat 3 or 4 meals almost every day. So we knew that God does indeed work. We prayed for His direction.

A couple of days later there was a knock on my door (guess he couldn’t figure out how to put the two wires together to ring the door bell ... got to fix that door bell). Looking out the front window I could see two 1995 black shiny Lincolns in my driveway. A man we did not know was at the door telling me that he was getting rid of his 1995 black Lincoln Continental and wanted to know if I wanted to buy his tires. I looked his car over and told him that I didn’t really need tires but I could use the rest of his car. Well his car was going to be "clunked" on Saturday and it was then Thursday night.

I called my good friend John who is a mechanic/carpenter/ handy man do most anything kind of guy. John has been battling cancer for the past year and a half . The initial news was that he had 6 to 8 weeks to live. The prognosis is still terminal but by the grace of God John is a shining witness to the reality of genuine faith. He had received a debilitating chemo-therapy treatment a few days before but said he would be glad to help. Tony is the Dad of a handicapped child that my wife cares for as a nurse, who has a full shop with a lift and everything needed to do the work. Tony " just happened" to have the day off and was willing to help.

The next day John and I drove two Lincolns over to Tony's shop to swap the damaged parts with the providentially provided parts salvaged from an about to be cashed in "clunker." The next 6 hours we extracted and replaced hundreds of screws, clips, belts, and our well beloved luxury car looked new again. There was much more that happened during those 6 hours. How inspiring it was that John very easily as one friend to another shared with Tony how the love and strength from God had made the last year and a half the best months of his life. There was a bonding that happened as three men were blessed to be part of God’s working as only He can work.

I don’t fully understand the workings of God’s providence. Does God hunt deer with Lincoln Continentals? Does He always deliver car parts? Is every stubbed toe an act of God? When I think too much about it my brain starts to hurt. I guess I don’t really understand God’s providence much at all.

There are, however, some things I do know ... or maybe more accurately ...there are some things I “faith”. I know that God was at work in all these things for good. My wife and I look ahead to an uncertain future dealing with Parkinson’s disease. What a beautiful re-assurance that God’s “eye” is upon us. We are stronger in the faith knowing God will continue to work for our good.

A good Catholic man knows, by faith, that God had sent him to knock on a strangers door to deliver His car parts. He was excited as well that his shiny black Lincoln could be an organ donor before the fatal clunking. My friend John, so close to heaven, had another opportunity to splash joy and peace all over the driveway as we worked. The God of Creation has received honor and glory as we retell the story of a special delivery from God’s Salvage Yard Inc.

And we are cruisin’ in our Lincoln still.