Lessons Learned From a Dinging Car

originally in Word for Today

My family is gloriously accustomed to not having a car payment, and are willing to put up with some interesting quirks of the vehicles to maintain that status. The one where my car will start and then die is less amusing than some, but so far it's been fairly harmless.

Years ago I had a vehicle with a particularly amusing quirk. Some sort of sensor had been thrown and after you started the car and all of the other dinging, beeping, buzzing, and bells and whistles shut off the car would start dinging. Loudly. Five sets of five dings, with about 15 seconds between sets. It originally didn't bother me too much, but started the day before we took a short trip.

On this trip we learned that sometimes after an hour or so the car would burst forth with another 25 dings, grieving that it was running so long without dinging. Neither my husband nor I really enjoy repetitive loud noises, but my husband really did not enjoy the new feature of the car. So I decided that it's all in your attitude about the dings. The dings are simply our car reminding us, "I have served you well for many years. Do NOT take me for granted. Just a reminder..."

Troy didn't really appreciate my over-the-top rosy outlook, either. I decided that the dings could be my reminder to think of 5 things I'm thankful for. I shared this new philosophy and insight on the way to church one Sunday morning, shouting my idea to the kids over the dinging and Troy's yelling at the dinging. I proceeded to list things I was thankful for as the car dinged away.

I continued to be thankful as my car dinged away. On my errand day I had opportunity to be ultra-thankful when I started and stopped the car at least 5 times, giving me no fewer than 25 opportunities to be thankful (and 125 dings in my ear, if you're doing the math). That particular day not much went right, though.

Later in the evening, quite unhappy about getting back out of the house on a rainy cold night, the kids and I piled into the car. As the car began dinging, Riley asked, "Mom, what are you thankful for?" I HAD come up with 25 things earlier in the day -- but I was completely out. I wanted to shout, "NOTHING!!! I am not thankful for one darn thing in this day!!!!" Realizing that wouldn't be a very good example, I simply said, "Riley, I've got nothing."

He began, "I'm thankful for a warm car!!" Bless his sweet little heart. Next ding was Ashley's turn, "I'm thankful I have Expedition 56 (new group at church for 5th and 6th graders)." And away we went, thankful for our wonderful, blessed lives, in our blessing of a quirky vehicle reminding us to be thankful.

The dinging car is long gone now. The kids are older now and likely wouldn’t play along with their crazy mother on such a silly task to simply distract ourselves from the fact that our car was falling slap apart. But I’m thankful for the Lord’s provision of a vehicle that worked, and even of a noisy reminder that it didn’t have to work. Sometimes it would be good for alarms to go off periodically to remind me to be grateful for all the things in my life.

“give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Who Am I?

A week ago my hair looked like this:

and my car looked like this:

Now my hair looks like this:

and my car looks like this:

A week of changes at my house. Yes, I know you are thinking I'm gearing up for that landmark birthday, but if my very old, very mine-all-mine car could have made it another 6 months, we would still have it. But it scared me and God took care of us in getting another. And so did Troy. :-)

Obviously, none of these things define me, but I have to say that I've waved and waved at several people in the past week -- in my car and face to face -- that have seemed to look right through me. A few politely smiled back. Oh, well. Maybe I could pull off some huge prank right now -- nah, who has the energy?

So, I'm still trying to figure out who I am in the mirror and which car is mine in the parking lot (seriously, I haven't had to press the alarm YET to figure it out, but I'm afraid I will soon...!) Someone mentioned that I finally have the hair to fit my personality: sassy! :-) I do like the word 'sassy' and I think it fits me just perfectly.

That word calls to mind one silly night at Bunco. Autum and I were deciding everyone should have a nickname that was alliterative with their first name. I made her Awesome Autum and she made me Sassy Sarah. She called me Sassy for months after that.

What would your alliterative name be?

On a much more serious note, please pray for this precious punkin' having very serious surgery that I don't fully understand. Tell the Lord to hold Stellan and the doctors operating on him. God knows the rest.

Happy New Week!

What an amazingly gorgeous weekend God blessed us with. And I confess I spent precious little of it outside, but I got a little rest, and more importantly, I got a new car.

Old news to those of you on facebook and Twitter, but, yes, we managed to get a new-to-us car before the Expedition completely dropped dead. I can now drive carpool without my stomach being in knots wondering if I will make it back to the house.

We got a Maxima. And, it's still 3 years old (Expedition was 9) but, hey, some things have changed in vehicles since 2000! It's bluetooth capable, so I can punch a button on my steering wheel, say, "call Troy office" and voila, I'm talkin' to Troy (or, more likely, his answering machine -- I can't ever catch him in the office). The seat moves out to let me out when I park, then back in when I start the engine -- like my own personal concierge!

Yes, I am country gone big city in my car! Driving around like Gomer Pyle saying, "Goooolllleee! What will they think of next?" Just craziness. And such a blessing.

Riley, my, um, petite-ish 11 year old is thrilled that the airbag will shut itself off when a petite-ish person is sitting in the front seat. At 80 pounds, his life's longing has been to sit in the front seat for a while. We already have a fight-reducing plan for that!

Part of my weekend was birthday-celebrating my friend Denise. Some of us from Coffee Group gathered for a brunch and laughed together. Donna pointed out how wonderful it was that we all knew -- Denise doesn't do cheese, I don't do coffee and my Diet Coke was chilling for me when I got there. I hope I never take for granted that I am blessed with a group of women that know. Not just my Diet Coke affinity (if you've been at the COTR for very long, you know that) but my history, my hurts, my peeves, my soapboxes, my laughter triggers. I am amazingly blessed in that group.

I also made a blog roll. Donna, it's quite tasty. Give it a try! I'm sure I've forgotten someone. Please leave a comment and let me know if you don't see you on there!

So here we are on Monday morning. Ever since I have been home with the kids when Ashley was born, I have LOVED Mondays. When the kids were little bitty, Sundays were SO hard, and Monday was a day to re-group, clean up, and relax. Even with the jobs I've had since the kids have been in school, I still generally love Mondays. It's a fairly unscheduled day, and it's kind of like every week's New Year's Day -- you get to start it all over, get a fresh start, try to get it right this time. Ever hopeful, I guess.

I think I'm looking forward to a little big easier schedule than I had last week. But I always am just a little lonely without my family that I enjoyed over the weekend -- it's never quite enough for me.

In July I will be joining my daughter and 19 other 7th and 8th graders on a mission trip to South Texas. Those of us going -- parents and youth alike -- are required to attend training time and part of that is scripture memory. So I am memorizing Ephesians 2:10 right now:

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

God has prepared some good work for you to do today! You are His workmanship! May you find His strength and might to do the good works He has prepared for you.