Lesson from 'Mater: Life's Dents Are Memorable Moments with Your Bestest Friend

Looking at my hand I'm seeing the slow scab healing of from the fresh chunks taken out from my efforts to fix a malfunctioning pool pump for a friend. Got the "bark knocked off my knuckles", as my Grandfather used to say. He was a genius mechanic, could fix anything, and always had the bark knocked off of some part of his hands from digging around the inside of an engine, or off the top of his head from whacking it on the open hood of a car.

My efforts failed as I realized the problem was way above my pay grade. It's tough for a guy to admit failure, especially in the attempts at a "gallant" act of chivalry, coming to rescue the damsel in distress, so to speak. I humbled myself and called in an expert, and, well, he (not me) got problem resolved. I went home that night with sliced up knuckles and a failure-broken spirit.

When I got home, my twelve-year-old son was watching Cars 2, and so I plopped down on the couch with him to watch it. In my mood of self-funk, there was one line in the movie that suddenly brought my spirits back to life. The dent-ridden, derelict rusted-heap Mater was about to get restored to a shiny new tow truck--his rust-ridden body Bondo-ed and painted, and his dents buffed smooth. As they reached to buff away his dents, Mater pulled away.

"Y' cain't touch m' dents!" Mater said. "Them dents is special--I got every one of them with my bestest buddy Lightning McQueen."

I suddenly looked at my cut-up, dented hand in new light. Maybe I failed, but I got the dents and scars in an effort to help one of my bestest friends.

And then I started thinking back at other the dents and scars of my life. Failures, hurts, hurtings, and those wounding moments in life that are better off left forgotten. However, many have made my relationships stronger, trials that bring two people together, bringing clarity and opportunities for healing. Other have sent relationships into the ashbin, or, to stick with the roadside collision analogy, off to the car crusher--compacted into a heap of crumpled metal and shattered glass.

My dents aren't pretty, but they've shaped who I have become today, and many represent relationship defining moments--especially moments with my "bestest" buddy. Them dents is "special", because you got them with someone special to your heart. They've tested and tried the relationship--and made it stronger.

But the most important thing about my dents is they remind me of all those moments that my bestest buddy of all--God--was always by my side. No matter how many times the dent, crash, or heaping moment left me feeling alone and stranded on the roadside, when I look back at each one, God was there. Sometimes with cables to jump start me back to life; sometimes to gently buff out the dents; other times to slip his gentle hook around my front bumper and carefully tow me back to the shop for major repairs.

I wouldn't trade a single dent in my life---because every one of them reminds me of moments with my bestest buddy--Jesus Christ.

Ain't God great? Can I get an Amen? Or, I guess as Lightning McQueen would say, how about a:

"Ka-Chow!"

Feel free to write me with any questions or comments at hgammagewrites@outlook.com

Faith is Counterfactural History: How Close Are You To Realizing God's Promises?

In the book, Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill tells the story of R.U. Darby's uncle who left his home in Williamsburg, Maryland and ventured West during the Gold Rush to seek his fortune. After staking a claim in the mountains of Colorado, he started his digging, chipping away into the mountainside for weeks on end with a pick and shovel. His labor finally paid off when he stuck gold.

Taking a sample of his find, he covered up the mine and returned back to Willimasburg. Using his sample of gold to prove to family and friends that his strike was real, he secured enough investors to purchase the machinery necessary to to dig the mine and surface the ore.

After having the machinery shipped, he returned to the mine and started to work the mine. As the gold ore began pouring out of the ground by the cart full, it became evident that Darby's mine had the potential to be one of the richest gold veins in Colorado.

The drilling continued. The machinery was expensive. The mine still needed to pass the breakeven point before the dreamt-of profits could start rolling in.

As the mine was within a few carts of paying off the machinery, the unthinkable happened. The mine went dry. The drills hit solid dirt, and, as Darby and his crew drilled desperately on, it became evident that they'd reached the end of the gold vein.

Dispirited, Darby called it quits and sold his machinery, hoping to at least break even on his failed venture. The purchaser of the equipment had more faith. Although to the naked eye, the mine was empty. There was nothing there except worthless dirt. By analyzing the terrain, assessing the situation, he tried a different approach, shifting the drilling by just a few feet--and ended up striking a rich vein of gold! The original vein discovered by Darby had been broken by a simple fault line--a natural movement of the earth.

What if Darby had never called it quits? What if Darby had faith in what he did not see and if he'd just persisted with a different approach?

Counterfactual history theory asks 'what if' questions. What if the Soviets had never stopped Hitler at Leningrad? What if the U.S. had surrendered the South Pacific to the Japanese after Pearl Harbor? What if Edison had quit after his 999th attempt at inventing the light bulb? 

We can look in the Bible and ask the same what if questions. What if the Israelites had stopped circling Jericho on the sixth day? What if Elijah had stopped praying for rain after the sixth request? What if Joseph had become discouraged and joined a gang of reprobates in jail rather than continuing to serve God faithfully? Or what if Jesus and run away all the way back to Nazareth at the first drop of blood-sweat in the Garden of Gethsemane?

The basic premise of all of God's promises seems to be counter intuitive. What we see often is counter to what we are hearing God promising us. What in your life does not seem to be going your way? What are you hoping and dreaming for that evidence of what you see is telling you different? Faith is living in counterfactual history. Hebrews 11:6 says "...without faith it is impossible to please God" (NIV).  How far are you from striking the gold? One more prayer? One more little chip of the dirt? One more extra effort?

Keep trusting God. Today just may be the day to tap that vein into the promises He has in store for you.

If you would like to comment or share your faith story with me, please feel free to write me at hgammagewrites@outlook.com