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