My mom’s classic car was called the ‘Museum Piece’
By Bruce Boyer
True story: When my mom passed away many years ago, we sold her car. She rarely drove the car, not because she couldn’t, but she thought it was “too good to use.” (This is an exact quote.). When we sold it, the car was 30 years old but only had 52,600 miles on it. The family joke was, there wasn’t much gas in the tank because of evaporation, not because the car was used very much. We affectionately called the car, the “Museum Piece.”
The Bible tells of the story called “The Parable of the Talents.” (Matthew 25:14-30). In the story, a man going on a journey entrusted his property to three servants. The master gave five talents to one man, two to another, and one talent to the third. (A talent is a unit of currency, often considered to be silver in biblical times.) The servant who received only one talent dug a hole and hid it in the ground, doing nothing with it, while the others invested it to achieve growth. When the master returned, the man who hid it in the ground had no gain from the opportunity. He only had the original talent to show for the time the master was away.
When God gifts us with skills and abilities, He expects us to do something with them. Do you have skills and capabilities that, for whatever reason, you are not using? How has the Lord gifted you? What purpose do you think the Lord had in mind with the aptitudes and abilities He blessed you with?
It is ironic that my opening story talks about a master going on a journey. That 1974 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme obviously didn’t go on many journeys. It remained hidden in the garage for 30 years. In all fairness, Mom invested her time in helping her children to grow up in a Christian environment. Mom’s young adult years were in difficult times when people made material sacrifices for the World War II war effort and she grew up during the Great Depression. Mom had learned to be frugal. She just chose not to use the car, to keep it in “mint condition.” Mom used God’s gifts in other ways.
Jesus is our master, who is on a journey, and will return someday. He has provided for us so that we can grow the Kingdom and serve others. Someday Jesus will ask us what we did with the opportunities in our lives.
We all have great potential to be of service to others, whether it is using physical skills, financial resources, or being an inspirational example of courage in the face of adversity. Invest your time, energy, and abilities to help others. It will grow the kingdom.
Look for ways in which you can be a blessing to others, and you will be fulfilling what God intended for you.
Bruce Boyer lives in Kernersville and is the author of two devotional books and writes a weekly devotional email. A library of his stories is posted on https://christianfaithstories.org/.
