Goldie took a beating this past week. She is currently in critical condition. We are still waiting to hear from specialists whether she will pull through. It very well may be that her last act was protecting me from harm.
Goldie was born in 2001, in a Ford factory somewhere in America. She is a model Focus, and her body is covered in Gold, hence her name.
I inherited Goldie from my wife while we were still dating. Rachel lived close enough to work to take public transportation, so I worked out a deal with her father and got the car for a buck. Goldie has proved herself a faithful servant ever since.
And oh the places we have gone! To Pittsburgh and back several times! Down to my home in Gaithersburg, MD and back. To Rachel's home in North Jersey and back countless times. And, least we forget, Goldie took us on our honeymoon tour of over ten states along the east coast. To top it all off, most recently Goldie took me and Rachel all the way to St. Louis and back. Before we left we treated her to some spiffy new tires, and a full inspection! Never once, in all this time has she complained. She didn't complain when she was attacked by a suicide deer, which left her with an unsightly deformity on her trunk. She didn't complain last winter when a slippery snow storm sent her crashing into a sign and almost a telephone poll. Yup. Goldie is an icon of endurance and persistence.
Sure, she's had her troubles, like any car with 150,000 miles. She's needed a few key components fixed over the past year, including a timing belt, and that thingy the engine sits on, but she always comes out on the other side of her ailments ready for more action.
Well, this past week was a particularly hard week for Old Goldie. First, last Monday a car ahead of her rudely ran over a heavy medal disk along the highway and shot it directly towards us. I had only a split second to react, just enough time to realize that I really couldn't do anything--swerving on the highway doesn't usually turn out well, as we'll see later. I was sure if the object which was shotgunned toward us hit the windshield, it would easily break through and collide with me. Luckliy, Goldie took the hit for me, right in the head of her hood. Whatever the object was, it left a nasty jagged scar right in the middle of the dent left by the deer years earlier.
A few days later, Rachel and I left our house only to find that our poor Goldie had sustained yet another injury. At some point between breakfast and 2pm that day another car we suspect drove by and thwacked her right in the left rear-view mirror. When we found her the plastic holding the mirror was hanging by a wire, and the actual mirror was laying on the ground miraculously still in one piece. I had some first-aid training in boy scouts when I was young, and I knew time was of the essence, so I quickly bandaged up her wound as best I could with Duct tape. We got everything in place just in time to leave and get Rachel to work on time.
That weekend (which was this past weekend) I traveled home. On Monday, during my return trip, the unthinkable happened. Goldie and I were driving along steadily, intent on getting home to see Rachel as soon as possible while still observing the legal speed limits, when all of a sudden a gray truck the size of a stegasaurus quickly tried merging into our lane. Goldie was in his blind spot, so we quickly veered out of the behemoth's way, down an exit ramp. The roads were slick that day from the rain, and Goldie tried her best to steady us, but inevitably lost control. We swerved left and right until finally Goldie smashed her nose into the guard rail, spun around, and rammed her backend into the guard rail. We were perpendicular to oncoming traffic!
Praise God, the traffic stopped, and Goldie used all the strength she had to move us to the shoulder, and to safety. I was, and am, completely uninjured. Praise God. Not as much can be said for Goldie.
After a couple hours, and some help from the local law enforcement, my insurance company, a tow-truck, and my mom and sister, I was able to get Goldie to a body shop, and grab a rental car to return home with. Goldie is still sitting in Rockville receiving care from some very well trained professionals.
I told this story in a light way so that you can clearly see that our hearts have not been stunned or discouraged in any way by our recent misfortune. The car was given to us by God, and might be taken away by God. God provided before, and he will provide again. God protected me, I should died multiple times in that car, but He has protected me. But, one day God will call me home. No matter what happens, Rachel and I put our trust in him.
That being said, Goldie was a key part of my ministry. Without a car, my job will become very difficult, and very complicated, as will Rachel's life. Please pray that our car can be fixed, or that God would provide another car, or another form of transportation--aka a jet pack--as quickly as possible. I would like for you to pray this so God will be glorified when He does provide for us, and so that you will be further encouraged in your prayer life and reliance on God.
To God be the glory!
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