I grew up with two older brothers who like "muscle" cars. I never had the desire to own a fast car (never felt the need for speed), but one day I did find myself alone on a highway, behind the wheel of one of their hot rods, a 1968 Dodge Challenger. There was no one else anywhere in sight, and the road was straight and dry and free of dangerous obstacles...I just had to put the pedal down and see what that beast would do.
As for my vehicles, they were alwayit more practical. I went for cars that could reach the speed limit and stay there while not killing my limited budget. I pushed for cheap, but reliable when buying; and when driving, I pushed my autos to a different limit than my brothers...I was going for the best gas mileage I could get.
Now, I am older and drive cars to a different extreme. It is an extreme that pushes them for every mile they can get. There are many drivers in my family and new cars are simply not in the budget, so I say a lot of prayers for, and give a great deal of care to, my old cars. I baby them as much as I can because I want to extract every mile that they have in them.
Here is the thing--cars are not me, but when I am inside of them, driving them, they become an extension of my being. I figure out what abilities they have and I push those to realize their greatest potential. I also determine their weaknesses and find ways to work around those, not wanting them to be destroyed by misuse. Different cars in different seasons of their usefulness will be treated differently, but they will be utilized in ways that maximize their capabilities.
I look at the human body and see the same thing. Some of us have talents in music, others in sports. Some have gifts of teaching or understanding, others of providing compassion and support. Some are strong physically, others mentally. Some people live long lives in great health, others live long lives plagued by weakness. Some don't live very long at all. No matter what our abilities and talents are, however, we know that we are most fulfilled when we push them to their uttermost limits.
In many ways, God has made us like the drivers of cars. We are sitting inside of a vehicle that we don't understand. We don't know what our talents are, nor do we know how far they extend. What we do know, however, is that we feel wonderful when we are able to test the car/body we are driving. When we see ourselves becoming stronger, smarter, kinder, more generous, more loving, we sit back and feel good about our vehicle.
God made all of our physical bodies unique. Some of us are built to go fast, some for practical function, and others for perserverance and dependability. One of the great beauties of God's creation is seen in our discovery of what the "chasis and engine" of our bodies can do. God challenges us to put our foot on the pedal and start driving. It is His desire for us to experience that highway that lies in front of us. It is, however, scenery that we will not experience until we start driving.
As for my vehicles, they were alwayit more practical. I went for cars that could reach the speed limit and stay there while not killing my limited budget. I pushed for cheap, but reliable when buying; and when driving, I pushed my autos to a different limit than my brothers...I was going for the best gas mileage I could get.
Now, I am older and drive cars to a different extreme. It is an extreme that pushes them for every mile they can get. There are many drivers in my family and new cars are simply not in the budget, so I say a lot of prayers for, and give a great deal of care to, my old cars. I baby them as much as I can because I want to extract every mile that they have in them.
Here is the thing--cars are not me, but when I am inside of them, driving them, they become an extension of my being. I figure out what abilities they have and I push those to realize their greatest potential. I also determine their weaknesses and find ways to work around those, not wanting them to be destroyed by misuse. Different cars in different seasons of their usefulness will be treated differently, but they will be utilized in ways that maximize their capabilities.
I look at the human body and see the same thing. Some of us have talents in music, others in sports. Some have gifts of teaching or understanding, others of providing compassion and support. Some are strong physically, others mentally. Some people live long lives in great health, others live long lives plagued by weakness. Some don't live very long at all. No matter what our abilities and talents are, however, we know that we are most fulfilled when we push them to their uttermost limits.
In many ways, God has made us like the drivers of cars. We are sitting inside of a vehicle that we don't understand. We don't know what our talents are, nor do we know how far they extend. What we do know, however, is that we feel wonderful when we are able to test the car/body we are driving. When we see ourselves becoming stronger, smarter, kinder, more generous, more loving, we sit back and feel good about our vehicle.
God made all of our physical bodies unique. Some of us are built to go fast, some for practical function, and others for perserverance and dependability. One of the great beauties of God's creation is seen in our discovery of what the "chasis and engine" of our bodies can do. God challenges us to put our foot on the pedal and start driving. It is His desire for us to experience that highway that lies in front of us. It is, however, scenery that we will not experience until we start driving.
