Thursday, May 26, 2011

Sometimes The Best Blessings Come in Little Packages

In recent months as we have prepared for Rebekah's time in Virginia we had two major concerns.  The first was answered by finding the perfect living arrangement for her- renting a room from a wonderful family who attend the church she'll be attending.  The second concern was; what will she drive while down there?


We have two vehicles.  One minivan and one Chrysler Pacifica.  The minivan is showing its age- and not very gracefully, and Kate has been driving it in Lancaster.  The Pacifica has been the family car.  We are in no position to even dream of buying a third vehicle, but Bekah would definitely need something while she's living and working so far away from home.

The first piece of the puzzle was when Kate figured that when she moved from the outskirts of Lancaster to a more central location within walking distance of her school she would no longer need the van every day.  This would free up one vehicle, but we still felt that we'd be strapped here at times- only because we often are strapped here at times- with only one car for our busy family.

We prayed, and we asked friends to pray for a solution to our dilemma.

The answer came when a friend from church told Jim that they have an "extra" car which nobody in the family drives anymore, and they'd be happy to lend it to us for the duration of Bekah's time in Williamsburg.  Praise the Lord!  Rebekah now has the van with her in Virginia and we are still able to go in two directions at once here at home.

But wait, there's more.

When I hear the phrase, "extra car", I picture something plain, dull, reliable, and maybe even boring.  This would still, nevertheless, be a blessing.  Goodness knows that our van fits that description- with a little wavering on the "reliable.".

And yet, the Lord had something else in mind.  Something delightful.

The car which has been so graciously lent to us is a 2002 Mini Cooper!

Now, Jim, (or Isaac) could tell you all about the powerful engine, the turbo-booster, the sport suspension, the run-flat tires, the gas mileage and the six-speed manual transmission.  I'm here to tell you that driving this little car is FUN!  I think that it is actually impossible for me to drive around in this little car with anything other than a grin on my face.  Getting into the driver's seat is like climbing into a ride at an amusement park.  I have always loved to drive, and this little car is simply a blast!

Many times the challenges sent to us by the Lord are to teach us that "just enough is plenty," which we gladly accept and have learned to live with.  But this little blessing reaches above merely functional.  This time the Lord said, "Here's what you need, enjoy!"

1 comment:

Carole said...

What a blessing to have friends like the one who loaned you his car.