If you ever happen to do any amount of driving around the
streets and freeways of Santa Barbara, California you are bound to see a car
sporting a “Reality Carpinteria” bumper sticker. Now for locals they know that
this refers to a non-denominational church in the city of Carpinteria (10 miles
south of Santa Barbara). Non-locals must think to themselves, “What is wrong
with Carpinteria? Is it in need of a reality check or something?”
People that don’t attend the church probably think the
bumper sticker is some sort of prideful unifying publicity stunt or something,
but the real vision and purpose is much more important! The idea is that
whenever you’re driving around and you see the bumper sticker on someone’s car,
that whether or not you know them you pray for them and for the church right
then and there. The church is pretty big, so driving around in Santa Barbara
you see the stickers pretty often.
Now I live out in Goleta which is a solid 25 minute drive
(with no traffic, which is rare) to Carpinteria and the other day on my way to
work I saw a bumper sticker about a mile from my house. I was sooo excited and
so encouraged that I just started praying aloud in the car for the person I
never met (I’m new to Reality and only know like 10 people anyway). I was so
encouraged by this small non-encounter with the bumper of the car in front of me
that I was in a great mood for the rest of the day. This small 10 cent sticker
has completely changed my prayer life! Almost every time I get in the car I’m
reminded by someone’s bumper sticker to pray. And I hope that when other people
see me driving they are just as encouraged, and even more prayerful than I am.
I can say now that I have bumper sticker vision!
The only downside is that I can’t really speed anymore! 😀
