I watched a video the other day about restoring old cars that really struck home with me and my husband – and how it relates to how God restores and maintains us, regardless of how old we are!
Hi, Karen here! I’ll be 66 this year (2024) and I drive an old 1999 Subaru Forester. I’ve had her for almost six years now, and sadly, for the last two years, she’s been off the road more than on.
I’m not talking regular maintenance like brakes and windshield wipers. I’m talking repairs like replacing the engine and transmission!
Meanwhile, my husband has a 2001 Subaru Forester – two of them, but one is now a salvage car that we cannibalize for parts for his latest Forester and for mine.
We got my green ’99 Forester first from a couple at our church. It had been maintained extremely well and garage kept. They offered it to us for $1000 after we’d junked a minivan and sold a beat up sedan that had been hit twice. We were driving around our old 2000 Dodge Ram truck (which we still have and boy, does it need work!). It’s a gas hog, so we really needed something reliable that was easy on gas.
My husband and I also have physical disabilities, so getting in and out of a sedan wasn’t going to work. We needed an automatic SUV. I actually prefer manual shift, which is what most of my old cars were, but my shoulders and knees don’t get along well with that anymore, especially on longer drives. Manual shifts also put a strain on my husband’s back and legs, so we both need automatics now.
We drive almost an hour to church and over two hours to visit his son’s family. The truck wasn’t cutting it. So when I reached out to our church family and this couple responded, we jumped on it. When we went down to pick it up, the seller stood and prayed with us over the car.
The vehicle, I believe, was God’s gift to us. HE knew we didn’t need another car payment or a big car. He also knew we needed a vehicle that would be easy to maintain. My husband’s a mechanic, but not by trade, and the new cars now are over-computerized.
His and Hers Old Subaru Cars
After my husband drove my car a few times, he wanted one of his own. Even though we’re both at home full time (he’s on disability; I’m retired), we still find several times a month when we need two vehicles, especially if we have doctor appointments on the same day, same time, at opposite ends of the county.
I also like having my own vehicle for going to visit my daughter or friends. And at least once a month, I need to be down at the church when he doesn’t have to be; or vice versa. So each of us having our own vehicle on hand is more of a necessity than a luxury.
But we do not need car payments on a vehicle that would have to be taken to a dealer every time it needs a repair that my husband can do himself on older vehicles. Once he realized how easy it is to work on our old Subarus, that’s pretty much all we look for today if we must get another car.
So how does this relate to God and our personal lives?
God takes you as you are – like “As Is” used old cars. He tinkers around under the hood (our hearts) and fixes what’s broken. And then He gives you the tools (His Word, prayer, and church) to keep you regularly maintained and going in the right direction. It’s like He gives you an alignment, tire change, or oil change when you need it.
He also teaches you PATIENCE if or when your old car breaks down. Patience to analyze the problem; patience to find the parts; patience to get help to fix the problem if necessary, and patience to stay put until your car is fixed – instead of running out and breaking your back trying to make payments on a brand new or certified pre-owned vehicle that’s going to age and have problems eventually anyway.
Like my car. Two years since we replaced the engine and it’s been off the road more than on over these last two years. If it wasn’t in our barn or my shed/garage awaiting repairs, it was over at my grandson’s garage or down in the driveway of a church friend who did some work on it. Our friend also comes up to our place to help my husband on some repairs. It’s amazing how important it is to build a family within your church!
So while God took me as I am, broken and alone, depressed and confused, after my little brother was killed in a motorcycle accident, He put my pieces back together and showed me that I not only need Him to keep me together, I needed to build a church family to keep me maintained.
God didn’t toss me aside because I needed some repairs to keep going. And I decided not to toss my old car – that He provided – because it needed some rather hefty repairs. I’m going to keep doing with my car what He does with me – repair and maintain.
My car should be back on the road soon. I think she misses going to church every Sunday since she is a “Grandma Sunday Driver” car. My grandson does all of our vehicle inspections and my car doesn’t need the full emissions testing since I keep the mileage under 5,000 miles per year. Yeah, her Check Engine light’s been on for a few years because of a bad 02 sensor, but as long as she’s under 5,000 miles/year, it doesn’t need to be fixed.
Should you keep your old car or invest in a new car?
That’s up to you! If you can afford a new vehicle’s monthly payments and you can afford to take it to a repair garage even for simple maintenance, indulge yourself! There’s nothing at all wrong with that!
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