It is with great sadness, albeit also with a measure of relief, that we
announce the final demise of “The Car”.
I refer to the vehicle as "The Car" because I'm never sure if it is pronounced "A-cura" or "Acu-ra". Maybe that was a sign of things to come that we should've paid closer attention to. Note to self: If you're going to buy something, make sure you can pronounce the name of it correctly.
The Car was only with us on our driveway a short while, although it had experienced many miles with its previous owner(s). The actual date of initial ignition is rather indeterminate, but is estimated at 1999.
I refer to the vehicle as "The Car" because I'm never sure if it is pronounced "A-cura" or "Acu-ra". Maybe that was a sign of things to come that we should've paid closer attention to. Note to self: If you're going to buy something, make sure you can pronounce the name of it correctly.
The Car was only with us on our driveway a short while, although it had experienced many miles with its previous owner(s). The actual date of initial ignition is rather indeterminate, but is estimated at 1999.
The inner workings of The Car began to shut down not long after The Car took up residence on our driveway. Despite our best hopes for a cheap and
speedy recovery, we were advised that it’s just not viable, or
economical, to restore The Car to its former functionality.
The Car was a beloved vehicle of my son Corey, who was only really able
to enjoy The Car for a few short months before the beginnings of its transmissional
woes. We had no idea at the time of acquisition the
full extent of The Car’s “lemon-ness”.
The final resting place for The Car is yet to be
determined. We are hopeful those final
arrangements will be in the capable hands of Teen Challenge.
I’m trying to make light of the fact that the repairs this
car needed in order to get it running and roadworthy were almost as much as what
was paid for it a year ago. The purchase
of this car appeared to be such a good idea at the time, but things started going wrong with it very quickly.
What really ticks me off is that we bought The Car through
the mechanic who had been fixing our van for a couple of years and who we
thought was a pretty stand-up guy. I
actually feel like quite an idiot for being so trusting! I can only hope our next experience buying a used car will be
much different!
The first car Corey bought was through a Kijiji ad and the business enterprise selling the car also operated a delivery pizza service. At the time, we came home with a new-to-us Subaru Legacy and large pepperoni pizza. Sad to say, but we had better luck with that Subaru from a pizza joint, than with The Car through a licensed mechanic.
I've gone through the whole gamut of emotions on this one: anger for feeling like we were duped; shame for feeling like we were duped; back to more anger for not taking a stand and dealing with The Car's issues sooner; and back to more shame for being timid and not taking a stand and dealing with The Car's issues sooner. Okay, mostly anger and shame, but a vicious cycle nonetheless.
But what's done is done, and there's no going back for a do-over. Life just isn't like that. Hopefully we can learn from our mistakes and errors in judgment, forgive where necessary, and make better choices the next time.
Corey gave a draft of this blog post a read-through. His take-away? People may not always be trustworthy, but God is. Wise deduction from my son. We're always going to be disappointed by people and circumstances - that's just a part of the human experience.
But I believe that God is faithful. He will not disappoint. Those words may seem like religious cliches to some, but it's been my experience.
Our finances have been tight the last number of years, and we've had difficulty keeping our heads above water, never mind getting ahead. What's the saying? Just when you think you can make ends meet, the ends move. Seems to be the story of our life.
So the whole thing with The Car just seems to amplify our financial situation, or lack of finances, especially now that we're 5 licensed drivers juggling the use of one vehicle. The sad truth is that there's just no funds in the coffers for a second vehicle. The three oldest boys are doing their best to finance their university educations, but it leaves little savings for a vehicle.
I've often prayed and asked God for some measure of financial relief. I'd love to not be stressful and anxious about how I'm going to feed my family and pay all the bills. But then I wonder: if we had more than enough money, would I need God as much?
There are some days I look at the bank account and see all the bills that were paid, and the extra things like the boys' sports that were paid for, or unforeseen repairs or major purchases that popped up, and I am amazed that we somehow managed to cover it all. At the end of the day, we don't seem to have much left over, but we almost always have enough. I believe that's God taking care of our needs.
I may not always understand why life happens the way it does, but I will continue to proclaim that in all of it, for me, God is good, God is trustworthy, and He loves me.
The first car Corey bought was through a Kijiji ad and the business enterprise selling the car also operated a delivery pizza service. At the time, we came home with a new-to-us Subaru Legacy and large pepperoni pizza. Sad to say, but we had better luck with that Subaru from a pizza joint, than with The Car through a licensed mechanic.
I've gone through the whole gamut of emotions on this one: anger for feeling like we were duped; shame for feeling like we were duped; back to more anger for not taking a stand and dealing with The Car's issues sooner; and back to more shame for being timid and not taking a stand and dealing with The Car's issues sooner. Okay, mostly anger and shame, but a vicious cycle nonetheless.
But what's done is done, and there's no going back for a do-over. Life just isn't like that. Hopefully we can learn from our mistakes and errors in judgment, forgive where necessary, and make better choices the next time.
Corey gave a draft of this blog post a read-through. His take-away? People may not always be trustworthy, but God is. Wise deduction from my son. We're always going to be disappointed by people and circumstances - that's just a part of the human experience.
But I believe that God is faithful. He will not disappoint. Those words may seem like religious cliches to some, but it's been my experience.
Our finances have been tight the last number of years, and we've had difficulty keeping our heads above water, never mind getting ahead. What's the saying? Just when you think you can make ends meet, the ends move. Seems to be the story of our life.
So the whole thing with The Car just seems to amplify our financial situation, or lack of finances, especially now that we're 5 licensed drivers juggling the use of one vehicle. The sad truth is that there's just no funds in the coffers for a second vehicle. The three oldest boys are doing their best to finance their university educations, but it leaves little savings for a vehicle.
I've often prayed and asked God for some measure of financial relief. I'd love to not be stressful and anxious about how I'm going to feed my family and pay all the bills. But then I wonder: if we had more than enough money, would I need God as much?
There are some days I look at the bank account and see all the bills that were paid, and the extra things like the boys' sports that were paid for, or unforeseen repairs or major purchases that popped up, and I am amazed that we somehow managed to cover it all. At the end of the day, we don't seem to have much left over, but we almost always have enough. I believe that's God taking care of our needs.
I may not always understand why life happens the way it does, but I will continue to proclaim that in all of it, for me, God is good, God is trustworthy, and He loves me.
Jeremiah 29:11-13:For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. You will find me when you seek me, if you look for me in earnest.
Romans 5:3-5:We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us ...
Wow. Well said.
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