Things

 

A co-worker of mine has a nice car. It’s not the newest car ever, but it is a quality brand and it’s paid for. Joe, like many men, really liked his car. He and his wife don’t have any kids yet, so you could say that the BMW was Joe’s baby. He keeps it clean, he waxes it, and it shines a beautiful blue color in the sunshine.

While on the way home to visit his family in some nasty weather, Joe was pushing his luck a bit in his sporty car. All of a sudden the slick street took control of the car and it started to slide and spin. Going about 60 mph the BMW hit the highway divider. Thankfully he didn’t hit anyone else during his acrobatics, though during that storm, there were three car wrecks at approximately the same time, two of them ended in fatalities.

In the end, the car was deemed a total wreck, but Joe walked away. He was so thankful for his life, especially after learning of the other two fatalities. Although he was angry at himself for his recklessness, and the financial burden he would have to put on his family to get a new car, he realized that things are just that, things. Life is what is precious.

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Cor 4:17-18)

If we are so focused on the “stuff” in our life, we are probably not placing enough attention on the only thing that matters in this world. God. I wonder if God wasn’t trying to get Joe’s attention. Maybe He wanted Joe to stop focusing in what he has, and start focusing on Whose he is.

“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” (Heb 12:1-2)

Reflection Question: How is God trying to get your attention on Him? Are you listening?

story used with permission