chasing our dreams

As I finished writing that last post, I wonder if I seemed almost a little too zealous in my pursuit of the ultimate "dream car." The reality is, although I've always thought that it would be way cool to own the truck I now have, it has never been an all-consuming desire. In fact, it was out of sight and out of mind until I had some free-time this past Friday.

I think in life, we each have dreams that we continually chase. Some dreams stay the same over time, while others seem to change with our life experiences. No car, no truck, or anything like that could ever compare to the ultimate dream I have of seeing people I truly care about and love, and people I don't even know, gain a grasp of the grace of Christ and have their lives transformed by His grace and His forgiveness. How that dream comes in the lives of people is amazing and the perspective I have to help students encounter the grace and love of Christ is unbelievable. I dream of when they will accept His grace and seek to have their lives transformed by Him. I dream many dreams and to have the freedom to experience the grace and love of Christ in my life is the ultimate dream come true. The really cool part is, that dream can become the ultimate reality, in this life, and in the life we have in the eternal presence of God the Father.

chasing our dreams

The fun game of "sales"

Sometimes I wonder if this is just a guy thing, or perhaps it's only just a Wes-thing. But anyways, for the last 5-6 years, I have been chasing and constantly looking for my dream pickup. When I find one that I really like, I usually can't afford it and/or the car that I would use as a trade in would end up not having very good equity.

But, as of this past Saturday, it all changed. I happened to have some extra time on my day off this past Friday, and so I thought I'd go out to the local Toyota dealership and and just see what they have in their pre-owned section. That's where I found "the one." I immediately found a sales guy, who gave me the keys, and off I went for a test drive. This thing had everything I was looking for. But upon my return to the dealership, having a big grin on my face, I knew that the reality of playing the "sales game" was about to begin. So, I decided to temporarily adopt the attitude of "let's make this happen, bring it on sales guy." For that afternoon I had to deal with the "let me go check with my boss and see if this figure is okay" syndrome. After the second time, I decided to say that I have walked away before and I going to do it again. He ended up calling me the next morning, willing to give me quite a bit for my Jeep and I wanted to make sure that not only did he do that, but that he also lowered the price of the truck. After asking him to lower the price even more, I heard "Oh man, dude, I just gave you a huge break, come on, that's the best I can do." So that's when I said, "that's what I'm asking and I can go and find one somewhere else."

To make a long story somewhat shorter, I ended up getting it, and my chasing of the elusive pickup has now come to an end. I seriously think I could never buy another vehicle again, and I would be happy. But, like I was saying, I wonder if people have "dream cars" or perhaps it's just only me who has that desire to look around, constantly seeking the one car they have always looked for. I would rather live in my rinky dink apartment and have a cool truck than own a house and have something to drive that I'm not all that happy with. We each have our own interests, hobbies, values, decisions, and stuff like that. One of mine has always been enjoying the car (now the truck) that I'm driving.

2003 Toyota Tacoma 4x4
SR5 PreRunner extended cab
5 speed manual transmission
Crimson red (for a true Sooner at heart)
Sport aluminum wheels
Bedliner
Toolbox

The fun game of "sales"