Buying a Car

My relationship with my two daughters over the past 21 years has taught me so much more about intimacy about God the Father – and He is certainly does not resemble my childhood picture at all.

Some years ago I was contemplating purchasing a car and was agonizing over whether to buy an old Triumph TR6 that I had come across. It was stored in the back of a garage in pieces and I was keen to salvage and restore it and prayed that God would guide me in my decision. This was not a paranoid attitude but I merely believed that if God was interested in my life then it was natural for me to talk to Him about any and every part of my life. However, having said that, I was still saying, “Lord should I get the Triumph?”

The answer seemed to come to me in the form of a thought picture, I don’t know how else to describe it. In my mind I was accompanying my oldest daughter to a store for her to purchase doll. She was very excited as we drove down to the store, and then a strange thing happened. As she surveyed the wide array of dolls stretched out before her on the shelf her excitement dwindled and she looked nervous as she walked up and down examining them. “What is wrong?” I asked, “Don’t you like the dolls?” “Oh yes,” she replied, “But I’m scared I will pick the wrong one and you will disapprove.” I was shocked and leaned down, put my arm around her and said, “Carmen, we came here so that you can choose a doll that you like. I don’t care which one it is as long as you enjoy the one you choose and it is within our price range.”

At that precise moment God turned the tables on me. He put his arm around me and said, “John, I don’t care which car you choose – it’s not an exorbitant price and I get as much delight in seeing you enjoy something as you do when your daughter is delighted.” The whole tone was one of easy friendship flowing out of secure love and generosity.

So what? God the Father is no control freak….. ‘if we know how to give good gifts to our kids how much more does he delight in doing the same?’  When love and relationship is the foundation of my life with God…. a powerful and freeing liberation takes place…. God likes you…. loves you…. is on your side….. saying ‘yes’ to you.. and sometimes no to some of the stuff that gets in the way….