My sister's car

When my sister, the oldest in our family, left for college, she went without a car. She lived on campus and apparently made friends with enough people who did have cars that she had no problem getting places she needed to go. At some point in her junior year, though, I remember my parents bought a car for her.

It wasn’t a fancy car. It was a used, red Geo Prizm. Four doors. Decent gas mileage. No cruise control. But it did have one pretty snazzy feature on the cassette deck. (I’m sorry, what’s a CD?) It had this “song repeat” button that was so smart it could back up exactly to the beginning of the previous/current song. It was much like the “repeat” function on the forthcoming CD players, but for a tape. So far ahead of its time, right? And so very smart.

Anyway, my parents bought this car for her. She didn’t have to pony up any money. They gave it to her. With one condition. They expected her to take a friend to church with her. Every week.

Now, understand, she was already in the habit of going to church every Sunday. She had gotten involved in a local church that she loved and was very active there. So going to church every week was not a stretch for her. But to take a friend? I mean, seriously, is that the first thing you think of when it comes to having a car with you at college? Taking friends to church?

Exactly my point. A car is a pretty great thing to have at school. And so is a computer. And a TV. And that handy little smartphone you’re toting around. But how often do we use those things, little or big, often taken for granted, to point back to God? How can you use your car to share your faith with someone? How can you use everything you have to point back to God?

Try it. And remind me to be better about it too.

Kathy Raines, UBC College Minister