From Point A to Point B. No Appointment Necessary. Walk-ins Welcome.

By From the Heart | Community Contributors

Feb 20

After my husband and I were married in 1997, we purchased our first vehicle together. A used Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo.  To be honest, we bought this vehicle solely on outside appearances only…but, oh boy was it a lemon. Unbeknownst to us at the time, it was in a previous accident. Every month there was always something to fix just to keep it on the road. By June 2000, we had finally had enough. We decided to drive to a used car lot in Alexandria and trade it in. Our only stipulation this time was that we wanted a “reliable” vehicle. We traded our lemon in for a 1998 Honda Accord.

It’s been 21 years since we purchased our Honda, and believe it or not, with a worn out frame and 238,026 miles to date, I am still driving this car today. This car has been in our family for so long, that when our children were little, they wanted to give it a name. Meet “Suzy Beedo”.  What a car! The outside is certainly nothing to look at. It has rust over both back wheel wells, a bumper that has seen its better days, a “cataract” over one of its front headlights…to name just a few things. But looks aren’t important. What’s important is this vehicle, “Suzy Beedo”, has gotten our family safely from Point A to Point B for twenty one years. This car has been reliable.

Our children are now much older than when they first named the car. I try to tell them how driving this old car builds character! They aren’t so easily convinced these days (insert teenage eye rolling😂).

Owning a vehicle for so long and keeping it running requires adhering to a couple of very important details. Regular maintenance and finding a trustworthy, skilled mechanic (thank you Bill)!! We all know that without regular “under the hood” maintenance getting from Point A to Point B would be extremely difficult, if we even make it to our destination at all.

As I was driving the other day in my “mom limo”😂, a thought occurred to me. Our very own lives can mirror the simple comparison to an old, reliable 1998 Honda Accord.

You see, we are all on a journey from Point A (our earthly life) to Point B (Heaven, our Forever Home). Our journeys can be long and difficult at times. We may make wrong turns and even take a detour or two. Staying on the road can seem very overwhelming. To help us through these times, we also need “regular maintenance” to help get us safely to our final destination.

Have we taken a look recently “under our own hoods”? Have we realized that each one of us may be in need of a little “tune-up”? Most importantly, have we enlisted the help of a very trustworthy and skilled mechanic? A “mechanic” who cares for us so much that he would do anything to help get us safely home? This mechanic, our Lord, cares about us and our loved ones beyond measure. He cares that our hearts, souls and minds receive the regular maintenance they need to travel this earthly journey. He longs for a personal relationship with each one of us, so that we can trust him with every detail of our lives. Our mechanic has many tools in his toolbox. The Holy Mass, Holy Eucharist, Reconciliation, just to name a few.

During the next 40 days before Easter, maybe we all can reflect on what areas of our lives may need a little “tune up,” a little maintenance “under the hood.”

The mechanic of our souls is longing to bring us safely home. We just need to place the call. No appointment necessary.  Walk-ins Welcome.❤️

Ann Popp is a wife and mother of three. She is a member of Sacred Heart Parish in Sauk Rapids.

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Karla February 20, 2021

Amazing! Thanks Ann for your inspiring words!

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