Never Too Late for a Trade-In

Have you ever had car trouble?

Chances are, you have.

I have certainly done my share of walking down the sides of narrow roads and interstate emergency lanes, glancing back occasionally to see how far I have traveled from the hazard flashers blinking in the distance.

Not the best way to end a long day.

A few days ago, I was sitting at a stoplight and, for some reason, the thought occurred to me that we humans have an awful lot in common with the vehicles we drive. We spend so much of our time trying to keep ourselves in good repair. Yet, despite our best efforts to maintain a well-oiled machine, we too often find ourselves stranded inside a dingy auto-shop undergoing expensive repairs.

Sometimes, these occasional restorations to our inner make-up are in order.

Other times, we have to face the fact that we might be riding around in a kind of mental and spiritual lemon that will sap all of our strength and resources to fix. Lucky for us there is a dealer in town who will take free trade-ins on the spiritual lemons and money- pits that plague our happiness.

No kidding.

Just bring the vehicle in question (no matter what shape it is in) to the dealership parking lot and park it next to the other broken-down mental and spiritual wrecks sitting there in the junkyard.

Step out of the vehicle.

Give the keys to the friendly looking guy who comes out to greet you, and ride away smiling in a brand new car that runs like a top.

Sound too good to be true?

Well.....there is one catch.

This particular dealership has one stipulation that must be followed or the trade is void. When you drive away in your new vehicle, you must leave behind all of the baggage you have stowed away inside of the old car.

Baggage that should to be easy to walk away from... but isn’t.

The hidden suitcase in the trunk that is full of the anger you feel toward your boss.

That cleverly disguised box of self indulgence you have shoved under the front seat - the one you have been opening every once in awhile when you think no one is watching.

That bad habit you just can’t seem to give up.

The can of self pity.

The grudge you’ve been carrying around for the past twenty years.

Yes....all of that spiritual rubbish has to stay with the car or the deal is off.

Chances are, though, you’ll forget about your losses pretty quick when you notice that you don’t have to wonder whether you’ll get to your destinations without roadside assistance anymore. You’ll be thrilled when you can stop figuring costly auto repairs into your monthly budget. And no more praying that the car will start when you turn the ignition.

The upkeep on the new car is easy. Just keep up with the maintenance card, change the oil, and bring it in for a tune up every once in awhile.

And leave that treasure trove of old habits back with the wreck you traded in.

Sounds pretty simple, right?

When speaking of the kingdom of heaven, Jesus said:

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field."

And then, to make sure His followers understood, he related a similar parable:

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchantman, seeking goodly pearls:
who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it."

Not a bad trade-in if you think about it.

Our all in exchange for Christ’s all.

Earth for heaven.

Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

But are we willing to make the trade?

Sometimes, I fear we are more prone to go for the quick steal on a snazzy looking sports car that will speed us toward temporary fulfillment than for the plain-looking family car that will actually get us where we want to go. Contrary to what is paraded before us on our TV screens, it’s still true that slow and steady wins the race. Yet despite the seeming simplicity of it all, it’s easy to be deceived about where happiness lies in today’s world of mass- marketing and multi-media. It’s easy to find ourselves riding around in a spiritual lemon even after the closest scrutiny of the available options.

Fortunately for us, there’s that almost-too-good-to-be-true dealership that’s set up just at the edge of town.

And He’s still taking trade ins.

Always has...always will.

Sometimes it can be hard getting our ragged-out, broken-down lemons to the junk yard to make the trade.

We might even have to get out and walk the last leg of the journey, checking back in the distance to see how far we have come from the flashing hazard lights. Repentance can be a long road to follow.

In the distance, the sign that is and ever will be visible as a light to those stranded and in need of a ride reads:

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light"

To the tired traveler who is weary of detours and breakdowns, there can be no sweeter words to ponder.

So, if your car has been acting up and all of the self-help mechanics have failed you, do yourself a favor: throw in the towel and take your spiritual lemon out to the edge of town. It’s never as far away as it seems to be...even if your walking away from the mangles remains of what seems to be a total-loss.Those hazard lights can look awful lonely as you look back to the scene of the accident and keep trudging along (Believe me, I know all about that!).

Don’t despair.

In the distance, there is a set of headlights headed down the deserted road toward you. As they near your position on the road, they slow to a crawl. The loud but pleasant clanking of a diesel engine drowns out the crickets in the night air, and you notice that you are staring into the side-window of an old tow-truck.

"Need a lift?" calls a voice from the driver’s seat.

You hesitate for a moment, but there is something about the voice that seems compelling.

Something familiar.

"You betcha!" you hear yourself saying, swinging open the door.

As the driver hitches up your car and heads back out toward the edge of town, you smile at the golden emblem on the passenger-side door.

"Treasure in a Field Towing," it says. "Great Price."

The lights fade in the distance, and the heavens are silent as the crickets resume their chirping. In a celestial realm somewhere out there in the cosmos, a heavenly being clothed in brilliant light smiles at the scene. The tow truck makes it’s way slowly toward the edge of town, and turns into a small dealership that has a great deal on new cars.

Looks like it’s never too late for a trade-in.