SUV

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I’m Not A Truck Guy – Maybe I Should Be

A truck is so convenient when you want to pick something up and take it home in your own vehicle. … I should have bought a truck. 

Truck guy, SUV

But I did buy the next best thing: an SUV. You can pack some serious loads in that kind of vehicle. 

When I think of it, I have always used my vehicles like they were trucks. Even when I had a two-door hatchback Buick Skyhawk, I used it like a truck. 

When I was in college, my brother and I shingled the roof of our parents’ house. We didn’t have a truck to transport the packages of shingles from the store, but we had the Skyhawk. My brother made about a hundred and fifty trips to deliver them. 

He learned really quickly that the shocks on the car couldn’t sustain more than a few packages of shingles at a time.

… But still I never thought of buying a truck. 

A truck was never something I wanted, even though I have driven home from the hardware store with wood resting from the dashboard in front of the passenger seat, through to the back seat, out the open rear driver’s side window, as I hung my arm over the wood, like I was trying to make a move on the planks.

When I was in need of a vehicle to move to Alberta to begin my first job as a pastor, I asked my dad what would be a good car for me. His answer was, “Why don’t you buy a truck?”  

I thought that was a crazy thought coming from him. My dad had never bought a truck and I could never see him owning one.

I asked, “Dad, why would I want to buy a truck?” and his reply was, “They all have them out there!”

I bought a four-door sedan.

Ya, I’ve never really considered owning or buying a truck, but I sure have used all my vehicles like they were trucks.

In this last month alone I’ve hauled a freezer and a treadmill in my SUV. 

Both times the back seats had to be folded down, the front seats had to be moved as far forward as possible, and I had to bungee the rear gate down because the loads were too long to fit inside my truck … I mean, sport utility.

I have loaded so much stuff in my vehicles over the years, strapped things to the roof, and used a red flag to warn people driving behind me that I had long cargo.

… Maybe some day I will just break down and buy a truck. 

But who am I kidding? My vehicles think they are under-sized, and under-classed trucks regardless. 

Besides, by not having a truck I get fewer requests to help people move.

Here’s the thing: There are a lot of people who get by in life with their skill, wisdom, personality, cunning and luck. Most of the time, this collection of attributes serves them just fine. They can do pretty much whatever they need. But there are times when they also reach out to God, whether they believe in God or not. They ask Him for help when they are in a tight bind. They will call out His name in desperation. They will even wonder where He is in certain situations. They don’t see the need for God most of the time, but they will use Him like He is one of their attributes. What is best is to give God your life and enjoy the full benefits that come with belonging to Him.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What have you recently called on God for that was beyond your capacity? Leave your comments and questions below.

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King of the Hill

It’s not often that I gawk at an accident. In fact, I purposely try not to slow down too much when I pass one, because it bugs me when people hold up traffic trying to rubber neck and get a good peak at the wreckage.

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But the other day, I was cruising through a parking lot and came across an interesting sight. I chuckled to myself when I saw it, but per my conviction, I kept driving past. Then  I thought, “This is too good to pass up!” so I turned around and parked the car.

This blue SUV was hung up on a mountain of snow. I was already laughing when I got out of the car and started to walk over with my iPhone. I had no intention of calling for help; I wanted a picture!  Do you know how hard it is to get a good picture when you’re laughing?

As I was getting the vehicle in my cross hairs, the woman who was driving the SUV saw me and blurted out, “Oh no! You’re not going to put this on YouTube, are you?” She was embarrassed, which just made me laugh harder, and for a moment I thought I should be taking video rather than still shots.

I circled the site and I wondered how in the world she could have gotten her car on that pile of snow. There was no snow around in any direction. It was the only snow mountain in the parking lot and she found it!  Maybe she wanted to conquer it … which she sort of did.

When I was a kid we used to play “king of the hill” on the huge snow pile the snowplow pushed into the middle of our cul-de-sac. It was always the big guys that could stay up on top the longest. This vehicle was on top and it was staying there, so I guess she won.

I think if she had have called a dealership they may have given her some money for leaving the car there. It looked like it was on one of those fake bolder structures you see at car dealerships. It would create some attention.

After taking 3 or 4 pictures, I had to know how or why she did this. She told me she turned her head to look at a parking spot and drove right up the mountain. But why not stop when you feel the resistance? Or better yet, when you turn down the row, look what’s ahead before looking for a parking spot!

My theory – and it’s only a theory – is that when she hit the snow, she thought, “I can get over this”, and stepped on the gas. It was, after all, a SUV: Sports Utility Vehicle. Don’t they make them for rough and rugged terrain, and … for climbing up snow mountains?

When I left the scene, the tow truck was on its way. About 20 minutes later, I drove by that parking lot again and noticed the snow was still there, but the vehicle was gone, and that woman was no longer king of the hill.

Here’s the thing: There are obstacles we have to deal with in life only because we didn’t pay attention to God warning us to stop, or go around them. If we learn to listen to and heed His guidance, we can avoid some of the mountains we face.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question:  What obstacles have you avoided because you paid attention? Leave your comment below.