I was laying in bed and had a revelation of sorts.  I get a lot of great ideas in the morning laying in bed.  Usually about all the work that I have that day and which parts have to be done and what I can procrastinate.  These thoughts were a story.  This isn’t just a story.  It is a perfect story.  It isn’t Jesus parable quality, but I like it. 

There was this wife that asked if she could drive her husbands 1964 GTO SS Ram Mustang to the grocery store.  After a long deep thought, he said “okay” and her and the kids take off.  About 30 minutes later, he gets a phone call………….yeah I know what everyone out there is thinking.  His wife says “Honey, I wrecked your car”.

The husband asks ”Are you okay?”

The wife says “Yes dear, I am fine”

The husband asks again “Are you sure”

The wife says “yes dear”

The husband asks “Are the kids okay?”

The wife answers “They are fine”

The husband asks “And Marmaduke.  Is he okay”

And the wife says” Yes dear”

Then the husband says “I Love you dear.  I am so glad you are all okay”

Then the wife says “I love you too honey”

Then the husband asks……….. “What happened?”

The wife says “We were driving through the parking lot at the grocery store and one of those big, tall pickups with the big tires ran over us.

The husband says “Oh my, are they okay?”

Th wife says “Oh yeah.  They were so drunk that they didn’t get hurt a bit but your car is……………..totally destroyed.”

The husband asks “Are you sure that you are all okay?”

The wife replies “ Yes dear.  You know how you worked on that car for five years and you wanted to replace every piece of steel with steel and never use bondo?

The husband “Yes”

The wife “It saved us”

The husband replied “You know how I had that idea to do it that way and how you agreed.  That was God’s guidance.

Told you – perfect story.  But why is it a perfect story? 1. He asked about his wife first.  That is who God chose for him.  2. He asked about his kids next.  That is who God gave him.  3. He asked about the dog next.  That is someone that God gave him to love him without question. 4. He asked about the other drivers next.  Jesus told us to love our neighbors as ourselves.  See ->perfect story.

But what does it mean? 

God chooses some things for you like a wife.  What God has truly put together, no one can take apart.  God gives us gifts like the gift of life in our children.  God’s grace is not earned.  It is freely given.  Our children are a sign of that grace.  Freely given to us as God’s gifts. And God gives us things in life besides our family like our best friend who loves us even if he is covered with fur.  But the true story is about the steel.  God has, throughout our lives, taken out the old dented or rusted parts, and replaced them with new steel.  That is when he has taken our dirty or rusted sins and replaced them with forgiveness.  Old steel with new clean steel.  A new shield to protect us from the evil one’s temptations and evil ways.

In Romans 11:3, Paul retells the story about Elijah when he wanted judgement against the Hebrews ³ “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me”? ⁴ And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” ⁵ So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. ⁶ And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.  Chosen by grace.  How great it is.  It can save a wretch.  It can help you make right choices.  It can help find the right path and ask the question about others instead of asking judgement on others.  If someone ran over my treasured Harley, I would be hard pressed to injure the guy in the big truck if he wasn’t already hurt, but grace will help us get through the roughest storms.  It is free and only comes from God.