CAR TALK THAT BEGINS WITH PRAYER

MY HUSBAND AND I EACH HAD OUR OWN CAR. BUT WHILE MINE WAS A SHARP, newer Camaro, my husband was driving the old clunker.

By Eileen Stoecklin

I never thought much about his car, unless I had to drive it for one reason or another. The last time I drove it, I knew we had to get him another one soon. I imagined the car dying on the side of the road, leaving us with one car to share. This would have complicated both our lives.

I talked this over with my husband and found out he felt the same. But at the time, a new car was out of our reach. We didn't have one extra dime to spend.

I decided to pray about our situation. I wanted to gain a spiritual perspective that I knew from experience would provide answers.

First of all, I appreciated how unselfish my husband had been by letting me drive the better car. He never once complained. To me, honesty and selfless actions go hand in hand with goodness—with God. So I kept that gratitude at the top of my thoughts in my daily prayers.

A week or so later, I got a phone call from my mom telling me my sister and her husband were struggling to make ends meet. I have to admit that when I hung up the phone, I was gloating. You see, although we've sometimes struggled with staying afloat and paying our bills, my husband and I have always made a point of giving to others in need.

But I thought my sister and her husband had it all: good jobs, new cars, a nice home, and lavish vacations. And yet they rarely thought of others. So when I heard they were struggling, in a way I felt justified, almost as if the saying were true: What goes around comes around.

But a few days later, while in my car, I thought: Does God want hardship for my sister and her husband? Would God feel satisfied if any of His children were in short supply? Would I really feel satisfied if my sister, whom I truly love, was suffering in any way?

Boy, those questions really brought me up short.

First I asked God for forgiveness for ever having thought my sister deserved financial hardship. The moment I stopped thinking those awful thoughts about her, I became more inclusive with my prayers, which clarified how I thought about our car dilemma. I recognized God's goodness as available to everyone. And that goodness doesn't play favorites.

The next day, I got a call from my dad. He had a question for me. "Do you want to buy my truck?" he asked. "I'll sell it to you in monthly payments—it will be less than one-third of a bank loan."

I could hardly believe what he was saying. His truck was in perfect condition.

My dad added that he wouldn't start the billing for two months, so we could afford to get the plates and transfer the title. When I told him yes, he said he'd be waiting for me to pick up the truck the next day.

What was so amazing is that my dad had no idea we needed another car. And when my husband and I had talked about buying a car, he'd told me that what he really wanted was a truck. (My answer to him had been that we were lucky if we could afford a car, let alone spend even more on a truck!)

After talking to my dad, I realized my prayers had come full circle. And, shortly after this, my sister's situation totally improved as well.

When we went to pick up the truck, my husband had a twinkle in his eye that I hadn't seen in a long time. The clunker is gone—replaced not only by a sharp new truck, but by a bigger understanding of God's infinite goodness available to all.

This article first appeared on www.spirituality.com. Visit the site to join the discussion.

I RECOGNIZED GOD'S GOODNESS AS AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE. AND THAT GOODNESS DOESN'T PLAY FAVORITES.

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