The Blessing of My Car

About two weeks before pre-summer break, the Lord laid it on my heart that it was time for me to return my dad’s car to him and to buy my own. Upon returning to Korea, I did not initially buy a car because I am living off of support this year and cars cost money. I had been told you can survive your year here without a car. Added to that, when I returned to the States I wasn’t sure how long I would be nor if I wanted to buy a car with my Korean retirement or if I wanted to do the whole loan and car payment thing.

Anyhow. I now know I will be in the States for a time. I also decided it would be best to just to buy within my means—purchasing a used car with my Korean retirement. I had $4,000 to buy a car—tax, title, and license.

While $4,000 is a decent chunk of change, I was not expecting to get a fabulous car. Then about a week before break I found out my sister had a friend who lives in Springfield who was selling her car because she was moving back to India. I got on Craig’s List just to see how her car was priced. While doing this, I was pleasantly surprised and realized I would get a nicer car in my price range then I had thought.

Anyhow, Alicia’s friend wanted a little more for her car than I had. No problem. Tuesday of pre-summer break was set-aside to purchasing a car. I got online and checked out classified on Monday night so I would be prepared for Tuesday. My mom and aunt also got online and checked out cars as well. I searched cars within the $2500 to $3600 price range. My mother went all the way up to $4500. What was she thinking?! I couldn’t afford that much. Anyhow, they found this car on auto-trader for $4400. They, my mom and aunt, said I should check it out because it was at a dealer and they said I had better bargaining power. I sort of ignored them just putting the car as above what I had.

Tuesday morning comes. I grab my papers that I had organized into 1) check these out first 2) check these out second and 3) last resort cars. Basically, I discover none of the cars in my first category had phone numbers. Sort of had the same thing for my second category and my third category had phone numbers. What can you do? Tuesday was buy a car day. So I make several phone calls and no one answers. I finally get someone to answer—so we, my dad and I, leave to check it out.

It was a Mazda Protégé. I don’t remember the details except that is was a dealer in the South side of San Antonio (not the best side). Anyhow, the two people we got a hold of both had Protégé’s. This car was listed in Consumer Magazine as one of the cars to look for in my price range. I had in my hand the print off of the car from Auto Trader—it was Protégé as well. We also passed the dealer that had it on our way to the other one. So we drop by just to check it out and have something to compare it to.

Anyhow, we get there. Now I don’t expect to particularly love the look of the used car I buy. However, when I walk up to this car, I actually like the way it looks. Before we look at the car, my dad tells them we only have $4,000, tax, title, and license and would they be willing to sell it to us for the lower price (it was listed at $4400 and blue booked at $4600). Juan, our sales guys, quickly checks with his manager and he says yes. So after liking this car after test driving it—I had a decision to make and decided to buy it. Why not? It was the first car I looked at, but it was newer and had lower miles than I expected. I liked the way it looked. It is in good shape. And because it was bought at a dealer they get to do all the paperwork for tax, title, and license. So I buy it for $3,999.99.

It was the best car buying experience I have ever had. Because I had cash the paper work was easy and by lunch or a little before everything was signed and dated. When we looked at the car it hadn’t even been cleaned from it’s previous owners. So I couldn’t pick up the car to take it home until 5:30 that evening. My dad and I kill some time in town and then meet my mom and sister at Bill Miller’s for lunch. From there we go shoe shopping with my dad. We end up re-grouping and my sister and I chilled at Starbuck’s while my mom and dad went to another area of town to shoe shop. I loved that part of my car buying experience included time to just hang out with my family and enjoy their company. My sister and I pick my car up at 5:30 and it’s a done deal.

I have now had my car for almost a month. The longer I have it the more I love it. I know I might not have needed to give you all the details I did about my car buying experience, but I feel like the Lord totally handed me a gift with my car. I never would have looked at the car if it hadn’t been for my aunt, mom, and my dad. It is so nice. I love it and just want to give Him all the praise and honor. He didn’t have to bless me with this car—but He did. I could’ve found this car after a much more frustrating car shopping experience…but He orchestrated events so that it was the first car we looked at. I never would have looked at the car if it hadn’t been for my aunt, mom, and my dad.

Thank you Lord. May car is Your car. May I use it to be a blessing to others as you have blessed me.

Oh yeah..within a week of buying my car my mom text’s me and tells me I have a check from Mazda. It didn’t cost as much to put the title in my name as they thought so I received a check for $68. My car insurance is $68 a month! That is totally the Lord. One more cool little thing the Lord did for me.