A Farewell

So this is the smelly, broken in van we were blessed with about a decade and a half... it spent as much time in AutoCare than it did in the church parking lot. The air conditioning didn't work. Heat rose up from the floor board while driving. It began to develop it's own old, moldy smell. The seats rocked back and forth. The van swayed side to side. And sometimes, more so towards the end, it would shut off in the middle of the road. Ahhhh, the memories.

Thanks be to God for big miracles. Pastor Aaron, with the generous help of our church members, has purchased a new van. A 2005 Chevy. CD player. AC. Power Steering. Get up and Go power. That brand new car smell. Seat belts that work. And much, much more.

Can you tell I'm happy? I am. Yes, I am. No more embarrassing moments due to the famous red van... Or so I thought. After trading in the red van last week, I thought I had missed my chance to give it a proper good-bye. But lo and behold the Lord works in mysterious ways. As I was driving back in from Tifton on Hwy 84 on Thursday, I saw our beloved nightmare parked in front of a Mom and Pop car dealership in Jesup. There for the whole world to see was the defiant van with "Live Oak Church" still on its sides. I experienced the same inner churning I did every summer when I'd drive the van to summer camps and other kids saw our clunker rolling in.

So I guess this strange love/hate relationship with the infamous Red Van ain't over. I'm just hoping nobody from Liberty county purchases the van. To see it every so often up and down the streets of Hinesville, taunting me... that would be... just... wrong.

So here is my good-bye to the Red Van. Your brother Blue Van is not too far behind. But you, faithful Red One, bye, sayonara, adios, au revoir, auf wiedersehen, arrivederci... hasta la vista... baby.