Uncle Packard checked with the paint shop yesterday. One of the workers indicated that paint may be finished in two weeks. I don't know if that is accurate, but it got me thinking. The upholstery guy will probably have the seat ready about the same time. I've gathered up most of the other parts necessary to make this car roadworthy... lights, bumpers, electrical items, etc. It is conceivable that I will be able to drive the car on the road, for real, in September.
I have never driven this car on a public road. As a teenager, I pulled the engine before I got my license. My experience actually operating the car has been limited to guiding it (sans engine) while Dad towed it home, and the recent drive down Grandma's driveway. Even though I now know every bolt and screw on the car, I don't know how it handles. I don't know how it sounds, or what the wind feels like doing 30 mph. But I will soon.
I need to understand the significance of driving this car for real, instead of just in my imagination. I want to give weight to that experience. I want to immerse myself in the glory of this redeemed icon from my past. I want to honor God's extravagant grace toward me and my family.
With the car functional, my relationship with it should gradually shift from "working on it" to "using & enjoying it". My attitude toward it will be less about "making it right", and more about where I can take it and how I can share it. Trips in this car will necessarily be one-on-one affairs, and thus opportunities for direct and intimate conversation. My intention is to honor that design, and invite others to experience it with me... one at a time.
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