The Loaner Car

My car is sick. Two weeks ago the "Check Engine" light came on while I was driving to church. The car was running fine and I have had that happen enough to know you can keep going as long as nothing else is amiss. You need to have it checked out soon, though. However, this time the car started shifting weird on the way home. It is now two mechanics and two weeks later and I still don't have my car back. :(

I gave the current mechanic a sob story about why I desperately need a car. Since I pastor a church 14 miles away, and I wouldn't expect my family to get to the church nearly as early as I do, it is a real hardship on the family to have only one vehicle. "No problem," he told me, "I will give you a loaner for the weekend."

Have you ever had a decent loaner car from a mechanic? I haven't had a loaner too often, but I have never had one that made me think, "I need to buy a car just like this one." Why do mechanics have such lousy loaner cars?

My wife took me to pick up my loaner, and it didn't look too bad from a distance. It is a green Taurus - and I like a Taurus, so it shouldn't be a problem - right? Wrong. The mechanic warned me that the "Check Engine" light goes off and on for this car. He said it was an oxygen sensor and I shouldn't worry about it. This car has quite a personality. I don't know what kind of difficult life it has had, but it is an oddball. It isn't that old, but the seats are just rotten. Each of the front seats is split wide open with just a few strands of cloth desperately clinging together like the last few hairs on top of a bald man's head. The roof looks like Edward Scissorhands took a ride in it - it is ripped to shreds with little strips of cloth hanging down. The Munsters had better looking cars than this one!

My first couple of trips were mostly uneventful. The "Check Engine" light came on, as did the "Door Ajar" light. I checked all the doors and decided it was a malfunctioning light. No big deal at all.

This morning I headed for Viola at 7:00, as usual. Shortly after leaving the house, another light came on - the battery light. That made me nervous - a bad alternator can leave you stranded. I made a stop at Kwik Trip to get some donuts for Sunday School and debated on letting the car run or shut it off. I shut it off, and said a prayer. It started right back up when I was ready to go. Whew!

Now I am headed home from church. I get a few blocks from home and am stopped in the middle of the intersection waiting for a left turn. Suddenly my dashboard turns into a Christmas tree! The Anti-Lock brakes, battery, check engine, and door ajar lights are all on. Then the air conditioner controls start flashing off and on with the fan doing the same thing. I think the stupid car is possessed by Satan himself! Luckily I made it home, but Mr. Mechanic is going to come and get it - if he wants it. Maybe he doesn't...

I am sure that once upon a time someone bought this demonic car and it was their pride and joy. Matthew 6:19-21 says, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Too many times we get caught up with buying shiny new things and we get all excited about them. We need to remember Jesus' words - these new things will soon become pieces of junk. Instead of fretting over new cars, houses, boats, or whatever else causes your heart to flutter, get excited about spiritual things. The things God cares about last forever, unlike this demonic loaner car.