I bought a brand new car last week. It wasn't the car I had originally planned to buy. Here's what happened.
My little Honda has served me well, but I felt that the Lord was nudging me to trade. My speedometer was about to go into 200,000 km. neverland and the car would soon be another year older. I needed new tires and who knew what else was around the corner?
So I thought I'd trade up from my 2001 to a 2004 Honda I found with only 46,000 km on it. It seemed like the perfect solution. I didn't anticipate any problem with the financing since I would just be extending my Bank of Montreal car loan. I'd never missed a payment and had never been late. Sounds easy? Uh-uh.
Because I'd recently gotten divorced and my circumstances had changed, the bank wanted three years of company statements (which was a little difficult since I just registered byDesign Media last year). So, okay, they said, give us three months of bank statements showing the amount you've claimed to bring in. When I submitted those (showing more than I had claimed) they wanted invoices to prove my income. So okay, I produced the invoices. When I submitted those, they wanted something else.
I gave up. I said, "Lord, I'm pretty sure you wanted me to trade my car, but I'm giving up trying because this is too frustrating. If you've got a different plan for me, I'll just wait to see it." I've been around the block enough times that I know God might have a better idea.
Saturday morning, I had coffee with my friends, Nina and Lori. Lori said, "Why don't you examine your other options—like a new car. Hmmmm. Hadn't thought of that. Because I'm not quite back on my feet yet, I had thought that I'd have to get a used car.
So off we went to the Saturn dealership. They took my social insurance number, checked my credit rating and gave me the keys to a brand new white Saturn! (Well, not quite. That last line was a lie because I had to wait until Tuesday to pick the car up—but the drama was better the other way. :)
A brand new car with 0% financing and full warranty for five years! I would be paying only about $20.00 per month more than I was already paying for my old car that was out of warranty long ago!! Obviously, God didn't think I should have to pay interest! What a plan!
As though that wasn't enough, Saturn gives free weekly car washes for the life of the car and a picnic every year!!!!
In the process of doing the deal, the salesman asked what I do for a living.
"I'm a writer," I said.
"What do you write?"
"Books."
"What kind of books?"
"Christian books. Are you a Christian?" I asked.
"No." He shook his head a little uncertainly.
"Well, what's your plan for after you die?" I asked.
"Um...I guess I really hadn't thought about that," he said.
"What?" I asked. "Do you mean that I have spent all this money for extra warranty just to make sure I don't have a problem with my car — and you don't even have a plan for eternity?" I smiled, shook my head, signed the paper and left.
When I returned on Tuesday to pick up my brand new car, I gave the salesman a copy of my first book, My Father's Child," in which the plan of salvation is clearly laid out. I inscribed it, "Thanks for all your help. I thought you might be up for a little fire insurance!"
What an awesome God.
By the way, the salesman's name is Luke. If you're looking for a great little car, go and see Luke at the Whitby Saturn dealership. He'll look after you real fine. Tell him Diane sent you - by design.
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