“Dear friends, never become tired of doing good deeds!” ~ 2
Thessalonians 3:13
Gary loved fast cars. Old or new, he loved working on them. He loved the grease beneath his fingernails
and the smell of exhaust. He just loved
everything about automobiles.
It was this adoration that drove (pun intended) him to purchase
an old wreck he could restore with his son Teddy. The ’69 Pontiac GTO (‘Judge’) had been
sitting on blocks for so long, mice had found a nice home inside it; and the
rust was so deep the car was now maroon.
It took a lot of work to return it back to pristine beauty, but father
and son did just that.
One night after the grown-ups had gone to bed, 15 year-old Teddy
shifted the Judge into neutral, rolled it down the driveway and out of earshot,
fired the engine and toured the neighborhood. God he loved this car! The rumbling exhaust served as a reminder of
the brute power under the hood. He aimed
the car home, turned it off and pushed it back up the driveway . . . into the
glare of his father waiting (not so) patiently for his return.
Gary was furious, but also strangely proud of his
pimply-faced son. He had showed respect
for the machine, never burning the tires or tearing through the gear box. So when Teddy graduated from high school, Gary’s
gift was the Judge’s ‘pink slip.’ It was
the happiest day of his life.
Literally! Because Teddy’s life
went from bad to worse shortly thereafter.
His Dad lost his good paying job as an auto worker. Later that summer Gary was diagnosed with a
cancer that spread quickly. He died
before Christmas, leaving his Mom with a mountain of medical bills, no income
and an unpaid mortgage. The house where Teddy
had invested his childhood went up for sale.
To keep his Mom from losing their home, Teddy decided to
sell the classic 1969 GTO that they’d restored and babied for as long as he
could remember. An eager collector answered
the newspaper ad almost too quickly. When he realized how passionate Teddy was
about the car, he asked, “Son, why are you selling it?”
Teddy explained without remorse. The collector handed Teddy some crisp
‘Benjamin’s’ and said, “Here’s $5k in cash. I’ve got the rest in my briefcase. I’ll be right back.” The collector walked out the front door, got
in his car and drove away.
He never returned.
Lord Jesus, may everything I do begin with
Your inspiration, continue with Your Help, and reach perfection under Your
Guidance. Help me help others and in so
doing, help me improve my health, happiness and disposition. Amen
