W.W.C.D

I didn’t get my license until I was a senior in High School. I know this makes me sound like a crazy person, but I didn’t really need a license or a vehicle. I had a boyfriend at the time that lived nearby and would take me to and from school. Sometimes I’d be forced to ride the bus…but as our relationship continued to grow, those days were numbered. It wasn’t until I realized I didn’t like him anymore that I finally took behind the wheel and earned my license. It was a harsh reality when I completed behind the wheel, had a legal license and not a car in sight. Thankfully, my dad knew it would be social suicide to ride the bus as a senior and agreed to find me a car. My first car was a 2001 Green Jeep Cherokee I named Jade. That car and I were together for my first three years of driving. We were in our first fender bender together; I was hit from behind at a stop light on First Colonial Road. My car and I were fine, but the car behind me looked like an accordion all bunched up – the windshield was cracked and I couldn’t see if the driver was alright or not. I was 18 and invincible…you learn about what to do in an accident in Drivers Ed. but you don’t think it will ever happen to you.

I remember reaching for my phone and dialing the first number that came into my head. I heard “Katie, what’s wrong?” My dad knew I was on my way to school and 7:20 phone calls weren’t common. I don’t remember saying too many words…I just remember crying to the sound of his concerned voice. His next question was one I should have seen coming, “did you call 911”? At that point it hadn’t really occurred to me to call 911, I was calling someone who I knew could help me no matter what – the person I always turned to when I didn’t know what to do…my dad! I hung up with him immediately and called 911. It was the scariest phone conversation ever because the dispatcher was trying to get the facts and I didn’t know if I had the right answers. Within minutes of my stressful phone call an ambulance, fire truck and police woman arrived and surrounded my car. Shortly after, my dad, my principal, director of the Legal Studies Academy and one of my teachers arrived too. See, the awkward part about this accident was that it happened on the way to school on the day of a field trip – my classmates were waiting for me to arrive so that we could leave and attend a Model United Nations conference at Old Dominion University for the day. Besides this accident, Jade and I had some great times jamming out to shameful boy bashing music, getting lost all over Hampton Roads and riding with the windows down…until her transmission died at the end of 2012.

In January 2013, I was sporting a 2008 blue Ford Escape. I decided to name her Dory because of Finding Nemo (kudos to you if you can get the reference). Dory and I have had to overcome some adversity together. Here’s a tip to new drivers/new car owners…learn where the windshield wipers are before you drive on the interstate in a rain storm. You’re welcome. Dory has an awesome sound system, electronic locks and windows (living large) and a really great smelly thing in the vent so she smells like lavender all the time. Lately we’ve been having problems with her tire pressure. A light is constantly on my dashboard that reminds me her tire pressure is low. Here’s a note to Ford engineers – next time you make a light for the dash, tell the driver which door is open or which tire is flat…that’s way more helpful than a generic “warning” light. I always look at my tires before getting in my car but they all look the same. I haven’t looked at my tires ever until this light came on…so who knows what they’re actually supposed to look like. Regardless, we’ve been struggling.

My favorite show is the Big Bang Theory and my favorite character is Penny – shocker I know. I always feel like Penny when I drive my car because I want to put a sticker over my low tire light on the dash. If I can just cover it up I won’t be worried about it anymore. Instead of actually fixing the problem (which would involve being outside in this frigid weather) I would much rather pretend it’s not there. I’m a lot like my Ford Escape. I’m made in America, reliable and have problems I prefer to ignore rather than fix. I wish a sticker could cover up my reluctance to talk to other people about my struggles. I wish a sticker could cover up my constant state of anxiety. I wish a sticker could heal the hurt in my heart. But just like a sticker won’t fix my tire pressure, it won’t fix any of my problems either. We live in a world that encourages us to find distractions to cover up our fears, sorrows and concerns. I think of a sticker sort of like a band-aid. Band-aids cover the booboo, but it doesn’t necessarily make it go away. If you cut your finger, apply a band-aid and then wash your hands…the booboo is still going to hurt the same amount – you just can’t see it.

2 Corinthians 5:7 encourages us by saying “we live by faith, not be sight”. I just wonder if we really live that way. Are we motivated by things we cannot see? Do we make decisions according to what is right or what we want? My sister was talking to me about our dinner plans yesterday and said “Katie, you’ve always gotta think WWCD”. We both got a good laugh because it’s doubtful others think “what would Caroline do” before making a decision in life. But it poses a good question, what would Jesus do and how would he act? I don’t think He’d ignore His low tire light or push away others that are trying to help Him. He’d probably rely on His faith. Trying to rely on faith is tricky sometimes. You can’t see it…sometimes you can’t feel it and it’s a 100% personal relationship between you and God. Nobody else can tell you what you should do or feel – it’s just for you to figure out. I can get my car fixed – take it to a gas station or an auto zone and they’ll tell me what to do. But nobody can tell me what to do in my struggle with MY faith. It’s a work in progress…just like the tire light on my car. Eventually we will get a warm day and I’ll fix the problem…or my tire will just burst. Eventually I’ll be on the road to recovery with Christ too. It’s nice to know that He tries to help us and fix our problems even on the coldest of days. I live too often by what is tangible but I need to start having faith in God, faith in myself and faith in my Ford tires.