In 1 Corinthians 10:13 the bible says, "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."
For the last 2 months I have been looking for car. Not just any car, a Volkswagon Passat. Not just any Volkswagon Passat, a used Volkswagon Passat that I could pay cash for.
Let me just say, that this search became one of the most exciting educational opportunities that I have had in a long time. I signed up for carfax and became a student of Kelley Blue Book. Since I was searching on Craigslist I started paying close attention to the ads, and could tell which ones were dealer scams and which ones were actually private sellers. And strangely enough––because we typically think of men being all-knowing when it comes to cars–– I was surprised that some of the best lessons about buying a used car, came from two of my girlfriends, Symone Leak and Sue McGuffin.
When I struggled with how I was going to get my mechanic all the way to wherever I might find the right Volkswagon, it was Symone who told me that I could pay any Volkswagon dealer a small fee to do an inspection that would and did turn up problems to the tune of $1500 with one car I was looking at. And it was Sue who told me that when she made an offer on her Mercedes, the used car dealer––wanting to make the deal––bore the expense of SENDING the car she was eyeing over to her mechanic. And another friend, Rutherford Dawson, got me through the auction process three times, even though ultimately I didn't not get my car that way.
And then there was Bobby! The car MAN! Bobby was introduced to me by a new friend, Tina, who I met through an old friend, Darla. "You gotta talk to Bobby," Tina said, when she learned that I was diligently looking for a new USED car.
And so it was, that Bobby began to educate me about buying a used car and pushed me to stand up for myself with a seller the same way I teach my PYP Grads to stand up for themselves in negotiation. Hey, even the teacher needs a teacher!
He taught me about what the dealer would offer a seller for a car, what I should offer and why, what to look for and what not to worry about! But the biggest impact came on Saturday morning, when I took Bobby with me to complete the deal on the car. He thought of things and kept me from making bad decisions that could have cost me some or all of my money. At one point, when the seller suggested that we consumate the deal prematurely, Bobby said, "I don't mean to be rude, but what if you drop dead while the car is still in the shop?" Would I have said that? Probably not. But men talk to each other in ways that most women don't and that puts us at a disadvantage when it's time to put the pedal to the metal and get what we need.
The greatest impact however was at the moment that the title was about to change hands and I was sitting there looking at the space that required me to write in the amount I was paying for the car. You see, I didn't want to pay ALL of the sales tax. I wanted to pay SOME of the sales tax. That's one of the reasons why I wanted to get the car from a private owner. I rationalized that the state had already gotten their sales tax when the seller purchased the car in the first place. Why should they get it a second time from me? Surely God felt the same way I rationed? Surely He did not. When I fixed my mouth to say, "So, what shall I write in this space," Bobby looked at me, furrowed his brow and said, "What? You should write in what you paid for the car!" When I protested, and said, "but.....," Bobby said, "This is what you paid, this is what you write!"
And so it was on this particular morning, just as He promised, He not only made, but gave me a way out that would insure that I keep receiving my blessings.
It wasn't until Sunday morning at church that I began to see the true impact of what might have been. You see, God has me in a place where people are not only watching but looking up to me. And I know me well enough to know that I would have probably blabbed to several people about how I escaped paying the sales tax on the car, and those people would have told some other people and with one bad decision and one big mouth I would have caused many other people to stumble––something else He insists that we NOT do.
It's why we don't swear in front of our children. It's not that we don't ever curse, but doing it in front of a 10 year old may cause them to stumble. It's why there really is such a thing as grown-folks-business, and children, even teens should not be privy to everything we say to other adults. If we cheat on our taxes and tell others, we may cause them to stumble. If we cheat on our spouse and tell others about it, we may embolden them and subsequently cause them to stumble.
In May of 2012 I completed [with the help of the PYP Advisory board] the PYP Code of Ethics. A set of rules and behavior befitting a PYP Grad. Now how would I look to them stressing the importance of integrity and bragging about not paying the sales tax on my new USED car. That is called a disconnect. And what follows is a lack of trust, and the inability of the people who look up to and count on you to continue to do so.
To those who much has been given, much is required. Taking Bobby with me on Saturday morning cost me $250 and kept me out of trouble with the One who matters most and from whom ALL my blessings flow.
I know it's only Tuesday, but I received 2 huge blessings yesterday, and I am thankful and grateful for the lesson and Gods favor and hand on my life. I pray that He continues to push, cajole, chastise and spank me into a life saving submission to Him and service to those whom He has seen fit to put in my charge.
God bless EVERYONE today!
Sincerely,
Crystal Wright
