What are the make, model and accessories?

I can remember when I first got my driver’s license. I was so excited. I loved to borrow my parent’s car, play the radio and cruise around town.

When I was in the Coast Guard, I bought my first car for $500. I never should have purchased that piece of junk. It needed a lot of work and I was no mechanic.

I ended up unloading it for a loss — $75. This was a good thing. The guy I sold it to spent well over $2,000 just to get it up to North Carolina’s state inspection standards.

After my four-year enlistment, I had saved up enough money to purchase a new Honda Civic for $5,700. This was back in 1980. I was single then. I could barely fit into the thing but I drove it for 11 years. During that span of time, I got married, finished my schooling, had my first call as pastor and Jeanne and I had two children. “Betsy” was a good, dependable vehicle.

Right now, I drive my “to-go box,” which is a Nissan Cube. The car is nothing fancy. I purchased it a few years ago. The salesman told me not to judge the cube by its looks. Initially, I wasn’t in love with the idea of driving “a box.” However, he was right. The interior is surprisingly spacious and it has accommodated my tall frame well.

A car may tell you something about its owner. However, what may be more telling is what is inside.

I have never understood the appeal of fuzzy dice. Can someone please explain that to me? Some folks have a crystal hanging from their mirror. Why would you want to be distracted by all the pretty colors from refracted sunlight? Some may have a cross suspended. I’ve often wondered why?

What do they believe? Will it somehow bring them good luck? Will it prevent them from having an accident, or is it simply a witness?

I hope it wouldn’t be for luck, like a rabbit’s foot. After all, that rabbit wasn’t lucky, and I don’t consider Jesus’ suffering a lucky thing.

To me, it is a symbol of God’s sacrifice and love. That would be a good thing to remember while driving. Maybe that person could pay that forward by not texting, always using their turn signal, and being a courteous driver?

Walter is pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church and has served as parish pastor for 30 years.