She’s Still a Classic

We passed by it every day on the way to school. It sat in the driveway, a big white hunk of metal with a dent in the side. Nobody could accuse my neighbors of living a lavish lifestyle with a clunker like that in their front yard. For months my daughter and I ignored its presence, going about our business as if the car wasn’t there. Every now and then my thoughts would wander over to their yard. How did that weird dent get there? What’s with the scratch on the other side? Why do I get the nagging feeling that there is more to this car than what I see?

Then one day my suspicions were confirmed. As I walked my daughter to school like I have so many times, I noticed the car was backed in the driveway this time, exposing the logo on the hood- Rolls Royce. I nonchalantly tiptoed around the car, stealing a glance at the grill, the backseat, the dashboard. This is a nice car! What is a classy car like that doing in a middle-class, suburban neighborhood like ours? No wonder the thing looked out of place! The more I thought about that car, the more intrigued I became. I googled Rolls Royce. Not only was this car a staple among the rich and famous, Lawrence of Arabia used 9 of them during his battles in World War One and claimed that they were more valuable than rubies.

Apparently my neighbors had a lot of ‘splaining to do. I vowed that as soon as I had the chance I was going to get to the bottom of that mystery. In the meantime, I found myself in my own interrogation room with God. “When am I going to feel useful in your kingdom? Does anything I’m doing even matter? Who notices anyway?” I realized that I had a lot in common with that car. On the outside we were both pretty beat up. We had visible scars of a life filled with accidents and wrong turns. Inside, we were just waiting for someone to come along and see us for the classic beauty we really were.

Then I came across an old note. It said, “You often wonder if God notices anything you do. The answer is yes. He notices everything you do.” During the next few weeks odd things happened that left me scratching my head. An old friend reconnected with me. My husband brought home a bag of my favorite chocolate “just because”. Last minute concert tickets to see my favorite performer. All of these seemed to be little reminders that God was taking a good look at my interior and he liked what he saw. Although I felt like an old clunker sitting in someone’s driveway, I was starting to understand that I had value anyway. All the dents and dings in the world could not erase the workmanship that my creator built into me. I was still a classic in my own right and I didn’t need the world to notice. God already did.

Now when I pass by the white car, I make sure I take an extra second and admire its beauty. I know it’s just a vehicle and it’s probably silly but I feel a kinship with that machine. I know that it was created by a master, that it was meant for royalty, and that it is incredibly valuable, whether anyone notices it not. Just like each of us.

He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”–Zephaniah 3:17

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