The Car Saga

So the new car desire came back in full force this weekend. The background goes something like this: I work in a city where people drive really nice cars. About two years ago, I started seeing these pretty blue BMW’s everywhere I went and really really started wanting one. At the time my car was only about 6 years old (it’s a 99). By early summer last year, I pretty much had made a plan to buy a BMW. I knew I didn’t really need it, but I justified it by thinking I would keep the car for at least the next ten years and I can afford it and I deserve it because I work hard! (the “I deserve it” thought should have stopped me in my tracks, but it didn’t). On top of that, my Dad up and bought a Mercedes, so he could no longer hold me to the “you better drive an American car if you want to be a part of this family” principle. So everything was falling into place. And did I mention that I really wanted a BMW??

So last summer Liz and I planned our road trip and I was secretly hoping that my car would conk out somewhere along the way (just not somewhere scary) and if God wanted to be especially gracious, maybe it would conk out within walking distance of a BMW dealership. Because then circumstances would have thrown the BMW into my lap and what could I have possibly done??

But that didn’t happen, and the car was such a trooper on the road trip that I couldn’t stand to part with it once we got home. So I decided to keep it until it hit 100,000 miles (which would be about 3 more years).

Many months went by and everything was great. Then I went to Alan’s house to drop off a cake. And I saw Dat’s new car. A Toyota Highlander. Oh the cuteness it exudes. A couple of weeks later I hopped into Chris Kim’s (a.k.a. Chris TomKim - the Asian Chris Tomlin) car. Also a Highlander. I was hooked. And what did I begin to see all around me?? Toyota Highlanders. It doesn’t help that I live within 2 inches of a Toyota dealership. So for the past several months visions of Highlander have been dancing through my head. And I made another plan. New England road trip. Not as intense as last summer but enough to give the car a couple thousand miles. And in the back of my head the thought that maybe it will die near a Toyota dealership.

Of course, I’d been praying about this all along, and deep down I could tell God was saying don’t buy a car yet. I didn’t take Crown for nuthin! And I talked to my sister who is ms. sensible about all things financial and she set me straight. Actually she said “getting a new car is dumb.” That was really all I needed to hear. Good – I was back to the 100,000 miles thought. But then, oh you will not believe the wonderful thing that happened…. My car failed inspection!! Just a couple of minor things, but this certainly put me one step closer to the prize.

That brings me to the weekend (if anyone is still reading). Liz and I went to Charlotte (BTW - go to the Billy Graham Library if you are ever there. It is AWESOME!) to visit one of my friends from high school and Liz's God parents. So we pull up in front of Alexa’s house and what is that I see sitting in her driveway?? A brand new dark blue Highlander. I freaked out. I walked into her house, and said “you have a Highlander!” then I said “hi” and all that other not so important stuff that you say to someone you haven't seen in two years!

Alexa let me drive her car all around Charlotte that night and I loved it!! I’m so getting a new car after the road trip. Then (oh there’s more, people) Liz calls from her God parent’s house to talk about plans for meeting up the next day and guess what?? They have a Highlander too! Have you ever read the word Highlander so many times in one post? I bet not :)

That's my story. I think Toyota should give me some kind of deal after all the shout outs I've just given them :)