FOOD FOR THOUGHT
(06/20/2010)
STICK
& STUCK
Cindy Hong
To support the food habit of their two growing kids, the parents went
with a manual everything car: transmission, steering, and windows. The
manual windows doubled as the car's air conditioning. It also came with
beautiful gray vinyl seats. But we loved that Nissan Sentra anyway. In
high school, after learning to drive and making the cut for the tennis
team, if I wanted wheels, I needed to drive a stick. So off to the school
parking lot Dad and I went. He gave me a verbal lesson describing the
clutch, gears, and how to move all four limbs accordingly. Then he modeled
it. That was the easy part. Now it was test time. We switch seats, I adjust
the mirrors, look over to make sure his seat belt is tight across his
body, and started the car. Left foot on the clutch, slowly letting up
as right foot went down on the gas. Stalled. Redo. Stalled. Redo. Finally
the car inched forward, jerking back and forth in first gear. I slowly
switch into 2nd gear, the car is still moving, and so we're actually driving
around the parking lot. I look over at Dad, he grins, and the car stalls.
Looking back, the experience seems to sum up my life. Lots of small starts.
More stalls Countless re-starts, especially in areas of trying to look
like Jesus Christ. Massive stalls. Yet no matter what, God displays infinite
patience with me. No matter how many times I stall in life, He stays in
the seat next to me. I'm sure as the car was jerking back and forth, like
a blender churning his lunch, Dad had thoughts to disown me, at least
until I could drive smoothly or get into 5th gear without stalling. But
he stuck with me anyway. Good thing for us our God sticks too. It's what
He does. He's our faithful Father. If my earthly father never gave up
on me, as much as he was ready to rescue his poor car from my grip, can
you imagine our Heavenly Father? Here we are, born in sin, covered in
muck and mire, destined for hell. Yet he never gave up on us, depraved
as we are. No matter how stuck or stalled we get, He sticks with us—guiding
us, leading us, loving us, delighting in us.
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