Today was the long-awaited start of a glorious 10-day paid vacation, and I woke up in the morning to the peaceful hum of police cruiser towing my car. Let me give a little background. Last year I bought a car which eventually failed emissions (still works though) and made it unable to be registered, so when the time came to register it, I could either spend potential thousands to get it fixed and registered, or not. In the light of fundraising for the Race, I could not justify investing so much into a car I would use for a few months and sell for much less anyway; probably $200 if I was lucky. No, it made sense to risk driving it unregistered for the few months I would be in the US, then sell it and use the fund for the Race. Well, I was caught and given a “fix or pay” ticket. I resolved to rent a car from a friend and park my car in different places on the street until I could get it donated or sold in order to avoid paying the ticket. This brings you up to speed. Back to the drama.
With alarm ringing through my head doing nothing to cast off the cloud of sleep, I walked outside to speak with the police officer. My heart beat fast as I stepped to the police cruiser and asked “Is there a problem with the car, officer?” He looked at me uninterestedly and asked “Is that your car?” I replied yes, and he said “Yes, there sure is a problem with that car. It’s unregistered and it’s getting towed right now” matter-of-factly. He said it with such finality, I was a bit taken aback. As I tried to explain the situation to him in the most appealing of ways, he would interrupt me repeatedly and said “It doesn’t matter” or something to that effect. I began with “Sir, I have a fix it tick-” “Well you have another ticket right now.” was his interjection. I started to explain “I am just about to donate the c-” “You can donate it, but it’s getting towed right now” Finally I said “Sir, this is just going to cause me a lot of money I just can’t afford to spend right now. Is there any possible way I can avoid my car being towed right now?” to which he replied “I have a job to do, and right now that is towing this car” and with that, the tow truck was pulling around the corner and I felt the jaws clench home. The tow truck had already been called, the officer couldn’t back down even if he’d wanted to (he didn’t). While I plead for my life, the call had already been made and no matter what I said or did, my car had a spot already prepared for it at a car lot and it was only a matter of time. I was struck dumb for 2.5 seconds. My car was being taken from me, and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. I felt violated, abused, angry, sad, and other things. I understand the decision to take my car was lawful and justified, but it did not help the emotions it brought up. As I rushed inside the house to grab something to put my things from the car in, I prayed “God, please help me with my attitude. I am really struggling right now” and when I got back to the car and began to take things out, I had a God-breathed epiphany. All of this was junk I was holding onto, and in 4 months, they will mean absolutely nothing to me. It was like a still, small voice inside said “Why are you worried about this?” and I didn’t have an answer. I was going to donate the car for free if I could not sell it for $200, and I saw how God provided when I lost my wallet with $450 in the past week (I got it all back in donations!). I already have a car to drive as a replacement, so transportation is no problem. The car was absolutely worthless, and there I was fretting over it like a downed comrade. No, this did not add up. In place of the negative emotions I had been feeling, a sense of relief, then peace, then gratitude, and finally joy welled up. The police officer was doing the job of “donating” the car for me.
As I walked back into the house with what little I chose to take from the car, I was reminded of how God prunes our lives. We are like wayward bonsai trees with overgrowth or suffering malnutrition. Sometimes he cuts back the overgrowth to see to it that we can grow better in the future, or yield more fruit or blossoms. At other times he transplants us from one soil to another to snip away roots or refresh the minerals available to us. It doesn’t always feel good. It can come as a complete shock on a Saturday morning with the cloud of sleep wrapped around your head. Despite the firmness it is done with, how loving is our God to invest such care in us to see us become who he already has declared us to be? Holy ones. God gives and takes away, and in the midst of that we have assurance in this:
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.“ – Romans 8:28
He gives and takes away, and it is all working for good. I can be assured that this is the truth in my situation as well. Gone should be the days when I fret for long over things that happen in my life knowing that God is aware, in control, and actively working them for good. I have God’s love and providential care radiating like a million suns just over my head, giving me the light I need to grow, direction, protection (even from myself), and pruning when need be. This has an overwhelming amount of application in my life, one of them being simply the thing I fretted most about the car being towed; fear for fundraising. In no time the amount of money I would have gotten for that car will be either donated or earned from working, and this will be a memory. That car was a drop in the bucket for God, and therefore is a drop in the bucket for me as I walk in the calling he has given me:
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” – Ephesians 2:10
“for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.“ – Romans 11:29 – He has given it, it is mine for the taking. I will be fully funded and finish my race in Jesus name, because he has given this to me and I accept.
Nothing can stand in the way of God, and I am on his shoulders, so watch out world! God has handed me the keys to the kingdom and said “Go!”
The call has been made and a place is already prepared for me, and I couldn’t be more encouraged in that.
I could shout, God is too good!
