The Gift from Dad

His Love is Unfathomable

1968 Ford Mustang Convertible

Let’s say you are coming up on your 16th birthday and thoughts of a driver’s license and the freedom of the open road are dancing in your head. This is back in the late sixties when most American 16 years old’s were forced to borrow the family station wagon. The day comes and to your amazement, the keys to a brand new 1968 Ford Mustang convertible are inside a gift wrapped box.

This new model from Ford is an instant hit and you are the envy of the town as you cruise down main street. You buy a car cover for it and wash it every week. You find the best auto mechanic in town and you make sure it is serviced in accordance with the manual. You make sure to park it in the shade but not under any trees. You buy the best gas for it and keep a safe distance from any other cars.

Weeks, months and years go by and your rigorous maintenance and car washes give way to other activities. The car develops a tear in the roof and duct tape becomes the perfect and cheap repair. Car washes are surrendered to the occasional rainstorm that removes any caked on dirt or leaves. The car cover lies crumpled in the garage. Your once beautiful gift from dad is showing its age more and more as the pristine look and appearance give way to rust and small dents. The paint begins to fade as exposure to the elements begin to alter the appearance of this classic rare beauty.

Eventually, the car no longer runs due to missed maintenance appointments and continues to look worse and worse. During this entire time, you dad has held the Title to the car and is disappointed in the way you have not taken care of it. His expensive and precious gift is slowly becoming destined for the junk yard. At one point, you ask for the Title since it is your car but your Dad withholds it knowing you will probably try to get a loan on it or sell it. He does not want to see this classic beauty leave the family treasures.

Time goes on and your attentions are diverted to your career, your own family and other more important tasks. You have moved far away from your Dad and visits and calls are few and far between. He and the beautiful car you once were proud to drive down Main street in are now relegated to your fond memories and almost forgotten as the world you live in now requires your full attention.

One day you open the door to your once proud gift and try to start the car. It turns over but is sluggish and badly damaged. As you attempt to navigate down the neighborhood streets, your mind is teleported back to a time when you enjoyed the envy of your fellow residents and their admiration of your classic Mustang. Your temporary joy fades quickly as the car backfires and jolts your body as it tries to change gears. With sadness and regret, you take the car back home.

You get on the phone to your Dad and you apologize for the way you have treated the car and the lack of praise and honor he has deserved for providing you with such an amazing vehicle to get around town. He hears the humility and broken spirit in your voice and he forgives your transgressions.

All this time, your father has held on to the Title of this American classic and at anytime could have taken it back. But because he loved you so much, he allowed you to use it and navigate life with it. It is still a rare, highly sought after model that would fetch a good price on the market even in it’s poor condition. As a testament to his love for you, he has the car towed to a body shop and mechanic where they do a full restoration of the car. Additionally, the car is a collector’s item and is very valuable. Due to it’s restoration, it’s rarity and it’s condition, it is almost priceless on the open market. On your next birthday, he presents the newly restored vehicle to you and hands you the Title. The car is now really yours and represents the perfect love your father has for you.

This is the story of us and our relationship with our Father in Heaven. At our birth on this planet, God gifts us with a body that is young, strong and capable of navigating the world we are born into. At first, we do all we can to take care of this body but other priorities divert our attention to other things. Regular checkups and exercise give way to beer parties with our friends and junk food to satisfy the desires of the tongue.

The body falls into disrepair and drugs and painkillers are necessary to treat the maladies we ourselves brought on. Our once youthful appearance begins to give way to wrinkles and gray hair as we find it more and more difficult just to get out of the Lazy boy. Certainly not the man or woman God wanted us to become. We have diverted our attention to the things of this world and fallen victim to its trappings and destructive elements of this environment.

But remember, the Father still holds the Title to our amazing human vehicles. He alone has the power to destroy them or relinquish them to the dust of this planet. But like the father above, He loves us very much. So much so that He sacrificed His Son so that we could see the length and depth of this love. If we are willing to embrace this Love and appreciation of His sacrifice, we too can find ourselves renewed like the 68 Mustang. God is willing to restore us and make us like new. To give us a new body that is not afflicted by the forces of nature and confines of this world. One that does not decay or rust or wrinkle.

The Father just wants to reconnect with you and be the center of your life rather than the vain attempts we are making on our own. He wants to gift you with the perfect vehicle to navigate this world and succeed in everything you desire. He has demonstrated this to His children of old who are recorded in the sixty-six books of the Bible. You are His child and He desires you to surrender to His way rather than trying to go it on your own. In His eyes, you are priceless and He wants to equip you with the best vehicle only He can provide. One that never wears out and is able to traverse the entire realm He created.

Go ahead and take a moment and call your Father. It does not require a phone or any other medium of communication. You just need to drop to your knees, bow your head and give reverence and praise to the one who gifted you with this amazing vehicle. Ask for His forgiveness and he will comply. Seek His direction and He will provide. Surrender to His Love and Way of life and you will be restored. Upon His return to this planet He will gift you once again with a vehicle that can never be destroyed or damaged by the natural world. This is the message of the Bible. Those who heed its words are destined to eternity while those who do not will no longer be able to bask in the Light of His glory.

Choose wisely my friend. Your Father is waiting to hand over the Title ….