The Return of the Silver Bullet!

The Silver Bullet is BACK!!

Yes, already, my now-favorite automobile mechanics have put the old Silver Bullet back on the road! My raging 1.8 liters of raw power has again been unleashed!

And not only that, but my mechanics will take time payments, which is the only thing that makes it possible for me to fix my car at all! Otherwise, I'd just have to drive until it stops and leave it in a ditch and walk until I buy a four-year old moped for transportation.

Someone once wondered if I had named the Silver Bullet after the famous Coors beer can. Of course, as a pastor, I could never name my car after a beer can! One does have to learn the unwritten rules of church (which Jesus himself would have ignored) if one wants to succeed as a pastor.

Actually, I named it the Silver Bullet partly because it's nowhere near a fast car, so it's kind of a parody of it's actual acceleration (or lack thereof). But also because this is a small, low car, so if anything bigger than a buzzard hit it, it would actually look like a beer can.

That someone had run over.

 And backed over again to see what he had hit.

I mean, this car is low! It's so low that getting into it is a controlled fall. And to get out, I must (first step) put my left hand on the bottom door frame to (second step) lever my feet out, and (third step) bend double and stand like homo erectus.

Believe me, those huge SUVs look really huge when I look at them from the seat of the Silver Bullet! And when I saw a semi truck is coming toward me in my lane (as happened a few months ago) I got to see my entire life pass before my eyes (it was so boring I almost fell asleep).

So why do I drive something that small? And old?

Two reasons: First, I hate spending money on gas. I like to spend my money on exciting things like new undershirts. Also I get this little thrill of victory when I fill my tank and notice that the previous driver at that pump has put half my yearly income into their gas tank.

I once told a group of guys who were whining over the price of gas, "Get a four banger!"

You could almost see my popularity bottom out.

Second, it's my personal victory over Detroit. I like to drive cars until they expend their last breath. Then I turn toward Detroit, shake my puny fist and shout, "I WIN!!"

So many people are paying so much for cars. They shine and gleam and have the "new car smell," and we are captivated and buy and then have one (or even two) huge car payments. And then we are bound and have no money left for more important things--like helping people out and giving to the Lord and to the poor who have nothing, as Jesus commanded us to do.

I find that as I get older, Jesus is continually freeing me from the need to have stuff. You know, the stuff we buy and didn't need but must pay for and keep clean and maintain and find a place for and then rent space in a storage building because our basement is already full of stuff that we used to think was so important but now we hardly ever even look at.

Stuff is one of the best weapons the enemy of our souls uses to distract us from seeking and loving Jesus.

May the Lord continually set you--and me, free!

"The poor are always ruled over by the rich, so don't borrow and put yourself under their power." Proverbs 22:7 in "The Message" version.

"A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor." Proverbs 22:9, New International Version.

"Come, you who are blessed by my Father...for I was hungry and you gave me something to eat..." Jesus in Matthew 25.

Laugh Out Loud Section

Church sign in Warsaw this morning: "Be sure to come early for a great back seat!"

The Peace-full Car Breakdown

My car is broke.

This is a sad thing.

The ol' Silver Bullet (that's what I named my car because a car has to have a name) began to make noise about a week ago.

Front end noise. Serious noise. The kind of noise that says, "Pay attention, buddy, because you don't want to get stuck somewhere in upper Fort Wayne with your front wheels pointing in opposite directions."

You know what it feels like when your car begins to go down. It's like, "Oh, NO! What's this gonna cost and how am I gonna pay for this and how am I gonna get to work and back and everywhere-bloomin'-else I have to get to every 24 hours of this week!"

I'm used to having the Silver Bullet ready and waiting. It's kind of an addiction. Keys in my pocket and the Silver Bullet waiting. Like a stallion ready for battle.

And now...not.

Also my poor son, who works full time in Warsaw but is officially a "temp" (the recognized employer's term for, "It's possible you may have a future, but probably not") has to give up his wheels. That's because they are officially my wheels because he's still a temp and could be for eternity. So in this space-time continuum of not-reliable employment, he can't commit to car payments. He's stuck.

Therefore I have to take him to work at Warsaw and pick him up until the Silver Bullet is fixed, so I can use "his" car.  

But in spite of all the coming frustration, nail biting and mind-numbing miles, I've noticed a change.

I'm not all stressed!

In my past, when a car broke down, there would be the stressing. I try to hide it, but I'm a big stress junkie. I worry. But this time I didn't.

Because I know God will work it out.

He always has. He always does. He always will.

Lack of stress...this feels nice!

Thank you Jesus, for changing me inside! Please keep it up!

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work" (Paul to the Corinthian Christians in 2 Cor. 9:10, emphasis mine).

Our Blissful Anniversary Day

Below is a photo of my sweet wife Julie, taken on the Nickel Plate Trail that we walked this morning to celebrate our anniversary. What a great way to celebrate 35 years together!

What a lovely lady!

It was a great morning...even though, unfortunately, our water heater quit this morning.

And--this afternoon after our blissful walk,  the plumber told us it was irreparable.

Surprise!

So, the water heater we bought with a six year warranty lasted about...wait for it...six years!

THANKS, water heater people!

So now my long-suffering wife is feverishly negotiating to have a new water heater installed.

Happy Anniversary!

But we WILL have a good evening, for these reasons:

We still have love.

It's only money.

We'll watch the Amazing Race on computer tonight.

"He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord." Proverbs 18:22