Friday, May 2, 2008

Ten Years of Loyal Service

Well, I know this might sound like a weird topic for a blog, but hey, I think that a relationship that has endured this long needs recognizing. What is this relationship, you're wondering? A friend? A business? A job? NO. A Car. Not just a car- the first car I ever purchased. My Honda.



I bought it on April 30th, 1998, and that first year I washed it every two weeks. I babied that car like no car has ever been babied. Early oil changes, regularly scheduled tune ups, tire rotation, the works. Since I had no girlfriend, the Honda got all of my attention. Looking back, it's hard to imagine giving that much attention to a car, but I didn't have a lot going on then. Eventually, the new wears off of everything though, and so it did with my car. After a few years, the washes became less frequent, the paint had a few scratches and it became more of 'just a car'.


Now, 191,220 miles later, it sits in the driveway with a dead battery, itching to go driving again. I've thought many times about selling it, but it's just so hard to part with a member of the family. To call it a great car seems somehow unfair. It's almost like the car is invincible. It just never breaks down (the dead battery was my fault). It's cost precious little to maintain, and most of the parts I've replaced were just because I thought they might break eventually. Yep, the Honda's been good to me.


Here is the first picture of the car:I know, I know, what's up with those socks??

Here is a picture from today:

From Honda's Birthday


Last week I decided that the Honda needed an anniversary cleaning, so I gave it a good scrubbing. While I was washing it, so many fond memories came to mind from the last ten years and almost 200,000 miles. My first drive, moving back home after leaving the Air Force, moving away for college, my first date with Bethany, driving off from our wedding with cans dragging behind us, and many, many more. On that warm spring evening in 1998, I never imagined how great my life would be in ten years. Never. In my wildest dreams, I never imagined being this happy with my life. I have a beautiful, amazing wife who loves and supports me come what may, a perfectly healthy son who melts my heart every day when I get home from work, the promise of a great job on the horizon, and peace in my heart every night when I lie down to sleep. Maybe it took me ten years to find it, but God has been faithful to shepherd me through all of my wrong turns and misdirection. And He carried me through it all in a little white Honda Civic that has never let me down.

God is good.

- Ben

1 comment:

massam82 said...

Hey, Ben,

Jana gave me the link to your blog. I seem to remember us all wearing socks like that in 98!