After nearly 13 years, we said goodbye to a family friend today. It was our 1996 Chevy Suburban.
Big Red had served us faithfully through the most important years of our children growing up. When we first got the vehicle, our children were 9,5,3 and 1. They are now 22, 20,18 and 14!
That Fire Truck Red Suburban has taken us on trips to Disneyworld, mission trips to Minnesota and even to officiate a memorial service for a young woman struck down in her youth in Jacksonville, FL.
Big Red was our carriage during Katrina and our refuge during Rita.
Big Red made long trips such as to North Carolina for a wedding and fun return trip on way back through Chattanooga.
This morning, we were having another car picked up by AAA towing. The driver asked about buying the car he was towing. I told him it was a recent purchase, but the Suburban in the back driveway was for sale.
Now, Big Red did not look like much. It had a hood that bulged up from two different accidents our son had in it. One of its' headlights drooped like a stroke victim who had lost control of his facial muscles. It's back door on the driver's side has been dented for three years. I did not get it fixed for two reasons. To get it fixed would have been more expensive than the car was worth and the dent was a reminder of a time when Big Red saved my son's life in an accident. Big Red was a great protective device.
Who cares about gas mileage when the vehicle can extend your life expectancy!
The tow truck driver asked could he drive Big Red around the block and I agreed. He returned 5 minutes later with excitement and hope. He got his wife and 2 year old daughter out of the cab of his tow truck. You see, they owned no personal family vehicle. Anywhere they had to go, the store, to see family or to work was in that tow truck.
Sometimes the wife had to walked 1 1/2miles to work if her husband was out on a tow job. Same thing at night if he was not around or she had to keep calling to try to get a ride home.
They asked the price and I told them. They were going to ask for a loan from his boss but, we worked out a better deal. God told us to drop the price considerably.
Big Red is now in the hands of a family that does not care about AC, paint and body work. They drove from the title transfer office like they had won a major prize. It was a chance to be blessed as we blessed them.
We wept for joy as they drove out of sight.
The man and his wife asked us why we came off the price so much and we told them God told us to. I hope that a seed of faith has been sown in the hearts of this precious, needy and struggling family. My prayer is that someday, they will tell their little girl about how they went to rescue someone and God showed up to their rescue!
May God bless them with Big Red as he did us for over a decade.
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