Toasters
When I bought my F-150 SuperCrew pickup, I told people it would be the last pickup I ever bought, and I meant it. It was a great truck, and that is why I had no problems selling it to my son, Critter. I sold my pickup and bought a toaster.
It’s a really nice toaster. It has a lot of room. Looks good, the color is kind of gunmetal. I like it. It doesn’t have a lot of power, but it does the job. As toasters go, I think this is the best one around.
What? No, this isn’t THAT kind of toaster! It’s a Scion xB, the little boxy car/SUV “remix” that I bought. It has the aerodynamics of a brick, but gets about 30+ miles per gallon.
I would love to tell you that I bought the toaster to get the better mileage, to help the environment, and lower my carbon footprint. Truth is, I bought the toaster because I thought it would be fun to have, and it is. Owners of the car have dubbed it a toaster. My son, Isaac, said I should put two long black stickers on the roof so it looks like a toaster to planes flying by.
When the Scions first came out I thought they were ugly. I figured they were cruddy little econoboxes and I would never own one. Then one day I saw one and something about it opened my eyes to what one could be. About two weeks later I saw one and took a test drive. I was hooked! So I bought the toaster.
Somebody out there owns the car that changed my mind about xB’s, and I thank them for the job they did on their car.
I wonder how many people are out there thinking that being a Christ follower is stupid, and have all kinds of negative ideas of what it means to live this way. Actually, I don’t have to wonder; I see them every day. Most of them respect my beliefs, some of them think I am deluded, and I run across a few who are downright hostile. For the most part, though, they just feel the same way about Christians that I felt about Scions; if you like them, fine, but they aren’t for me.
Then something great happens. They take a look at their life and realize they want something more. Sometimes it is a tragedy or pain that brings them around, but usually it is just watching someone who lives what they believe. One life can change someone else’s life.
The other day somebody asked me about the most important thing I do as a Christian. It isn’t pastoring, it isn’t writing blog posts, it isn’t preaching. The most important thing I do is show Christ to the people I live around and work with. My heartfelt prayer is that the people who meet me will see my life and realize that following Christ changes you in a good way. That just maybe I am on to something that will really help them. My worst days are days where I fall short, and they happen. I get cranky and react to something the wrong way, or I say something I shouldn’t have. Those days are tough, and I try to limit them. You see, I don’t ever want my life to be one of those that is a hindrance, just a help.
So who is watching your life, and what are they seeing? If we are going to call ourselves Christ followers, then we must make sure that our lives and our words line up.
So check out a toaster, and Jesus. You just might change your mind about both of them.
Driving my toaster… Jerry