The Blessing of a Subaru
I am not a car person. Outside of wanting to know the color and the gas mileage, I usually leave decisions about cars up to my husband.. You might wonder why I would be saddened when our Subaru had to be replaced. Steve's dad died in 2001, some months after his diagnosis of cancer. He had enough time to buy a car for his wife. Dad went down to the local Subaru dealership and picked out a 2001 black Subaru Impreza. His goal was to find a low maintenance car that was simple to drive. Steve's mom had never been eager to drive and so after his death the car remained idle in between visits from family who would usually fly in to nearby Dulles Airport.
After a long time spent in other parts of the country, Steve moved his family back to his home state. We were only 1 hour away from her when the traffic flow was good. Steve was the first number that was called when his mother's failing health caused a problem. Knowing that our aging car had few miles left and our budget would strain under a car payment, Mom gave her son the Impreza.
We knew this was a blessing to have such a nice car with no payments. As Steve racked up the miles, we realized this car would not require much maintenance. The unusual benefit happened slowly with a great regularity. Teenage boys as well as their parents would stop to admire his vehicle inquiring if he would ever want to sell it. Steve would shake his head as they went about their business. He probably laughed softly as he remembered his loving father who had purchased the Subaru when he was 88 years old for his wife. His dad would have laughed also. Praise from anyone was far from his mind when he made the purchase. I'm sure his only thought was to provide as well as he could for the woman who had cared well for him for a lifetime.
It's amazing how quickly a pastor can put the miles on his vehicle as he ministers to members and the community. The Subaru carried the dog to the vet as well as recyclables and trash to the dump. We used it to make a number of visits to Vermont as well as shorter trips to see my mom on the Eastern Shore of Md. Soon 100,000 miles registered and then 150,000 miles. We had no idea how long the car would last. Steve took a trip to Md. and on the way home he called me while he was waiting for a tow truck. He had the car taken to the mechanic who had serviced it ever since it was given to Steve. The next day the news came. It was the motor. The cost was too much money to put into it. The mechanic offered $500.00 for the car. Steve gladly and sadly agreed to the transaction.
Every time Steve went by the mechanic's business, he would check to see if the Impreza was still there. Each time he checked, the car had not been moved. After purchasing a new vehicle Steve forgot to look for our old Subaru. He took our Toyota in for servicing recently and he came home with news. The mechanic had fixed the Subaru. One day a single mom brought in her car that she could not afford to have fixed. The mechanic traded the newly renovated Subaru for her car. Steve's dad would have been so pleased. His purchase intended for his wife provided transportation for his son to use in ministry, and now it was being used by a mom in financial need. F.H. Doe's legacy was represented in some small way by the Subaru and the lives it touched. His Impreza sedan is gone but there is still present in our lives the evidence of how God used him and that would have given him far more pleasure then the praise of teenage boys.
After a long time spent in other parts of the country, Steve moved his family back to his home state. We were only 1 hour away from her when the traffic flow was good. Steve was the first number that was called when his mother's failing health caused a problem. Knowing that our aging car had few miles left and our budget would strain under a car payment, Mom gave her son the Impreza.
We knew this was a blessing to have such a nice car with no payments. As Steve racked up the miles, we realized this car would not require much maintenance. The unusual benefit happened slowly with a great regularity. Teenage boys as well as their parents would stop to admire his vehicle inquiring if he would ever want to sell it. Steve would shake his head as they went about their business. He probably laughed softly as he remembered his loving father who had purchased the Subaru when he was 88 years old for his wife. His dad would have laughed also. Praise from anyone was far from his mind when he made the purchase. I'm sure his only thought was to provide as well as he could for the woman who had cared well for him for a lifetime.
It's amazing how quickly a pastor can put the miles on his vehicle as he ministers to members and the community. The Subaru carried the dog to the vet as well as recyclables and trash to the dump. We used it to make a number of visits to Vermont as well as shorter trips to see my mom on the Eastern Shore of Md. Soon 100,000 miles registered and then 150,000 miles. We had no idea how long the car would last. Steve took a trip to Md. and on the way home he called me while he was waiting for a tow truck. He had the car taken to the mechanic who had serviced it ever since it was given to Steve. The next day the news came. It was the motor. The cost was too much money to put into it. The mechanic offered $500.00 for the car. Steve gladly and sadly agreed to the transaction.
Every time Steve went by the mechanic's business, he would check to see if the Impreza was still there. Each time he checked, the car had not been moved. After purchasing a new vehicle Steve forgot to look for our old Subaru. He took our Toyota in for servicing recently and he came home with news. The mechanic had fixed the Subaru. One day a single mom brought in her car that she could not afford to have fixed. The mechanic traded the newly renovated Subaru for her car. Steve's dad would have been so pleased. His purchase intended for his wife provided transportation for his son to use in ministry, and now it was being used by a mom in financial need. F.H. Doe's legacy was represented in some small way by the Subaru and the lives it touched. His Impreza sedan is gone but there is still present in our lives the evidence of how God used him and that would have given him far more pleasure then the praise of teenage boys.
Comments
Post a Comment