This is the sight that meets me in my van after about 15 minutes of travel, on occasion. I'm so nervous to leave town anymore for fear that the thing will overheat. As of two days ago, the dome light will not go off no matter what we do. So we have to jump it off to start it. Did I also mention that it doesn't have air conditioning...and that is was 99* today?I'm not mentioning these things to complain. Honestly, I'm not! But simply to ask your opinion. John and I try very hard not to get caught up in an American mind frame. We want to see the van as a blessing because we know there are lots of people out there who share a car or don't even own one. But, I stuggle. The van is our main vehicle. Without it all of us, as a family, can't go anywhere. And here in America, especially living in the country, we just have to have a vehicle to get around. We would also have to go back into debt to buy a new (and by "new" I mean new to us) one, and we REALLY don't want to do that. It's so nice to be debt free!
So, here's my question- What do you think? Forget that you were raised in America. Keep a global, godly view in mind as you ponder. Should I just be content with what the Lord has given us? Or is it okay to want a reliable van?
Help!
~A
8 comments:
No AC in the south in the summer is not an option Amanda! Plus the overheating is dangerous to you (and the kids). You have to get that fixed. My mazda used to do that. The best thing to do when it happens is to turn the heat on full blast. That will cool it down a bit to get to where you need to go.
Can you guys save up for a few months and buy another, cheaper van? Maybe one step up from the one you've got now. Then drive that one for a little while and save up for a nicer van.
P.S. I don't think you're being worldly for wanting a van with ac and that doesn't overheat. :)
Yes and yes! I don't think those questions have to be mutually exclusive of one another. You can be grateful and acknowledge God's provision of your current van while still being realistic about issues of safety and relative comfort. Who knows...God may delight in making you thankful for a new van. :) And although the financial piece is tricky, I hope you can come to a decision that you both have peace about.
I will pray for you! God will guide you into what you should do!
Keep your eyes out for something different...spread the word too!
Try to hang in there as best you can until He provides...either by fixing or getting a different vehicle!
Could you take out the light bulb so that the battery doesn't drain? Just a thought!
Keep us updated on how God provides!
blessings,
tarena
Spread the word, may the Holy Spirit convict someone to give you an answer or great price repair job.
Could be something as simple as a thermostat. You could also disconnect the dome light so the battery doesn't die. You can even buy fans that plug into the cigaret lighter:) Keep a couple spray bottles of water in the vehicle to help keep cool (Kids love spraying each other off:) I'm with you on not going into debt! We have another baby on the way and our vehicles aren't big enough. The solution is to install another seat belt in the back seat of out quad cab pick up. It will be tight but CHEEP compaired to another vehicle.
BTW incase you are wondering who in the world I am:) I'm a friend of Catherine's up here in AK. You had commented on her blog once and so I checked out your blog. I am so glad I did! That is how we found out about the Mcclennahens.
Amanda, you challenge me girl! I have to admit, if my van AC went out, I would be QUICK to invest money in fixing it. I am a heat wimp.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE you and John's commitment to be willing to be different than the world as far as needs/materialsim goes. We try to do the same, but this post really challenges me! Thanks for your example to me!
I will pray that God would provide something to meet your needs. Safety on the road is key, so that is definitely a valuable consideration, I think. But God is a miracle worker and He isn't limited to our "working" systems. Maybe just fix the AC/overheating problem and keep on a truckin???
Erika S.
we had to face a very similar situation this last spring. our 91 honda kept getting stolen (too easy to break into due to age, wear, etc.) so KV finally talked me into buying a new (to us) car. then we gave our old car to a friend who needed one and was wiling to put up with the risks. sense both of us rely on one car - we needed one that wouldn't disappear so easily. i was not a fan of the decision (i just had to trust KV on the issue) at first but now months later it's won me over. i don't think there is a "right" and a "wrong" - it's more about what you are comfortable with and making the best decision you can with what you know (b/c you can't predict the future). and trust God with all the unknown variables. good luck as you guys wade thru this decision!
i'm with carmen on this one. without thinking about the 'oh i want that pretty new car' aspect, which i know you're not, you have to ask yourself if this car is dependable any longer. it's one thing to not have ac because (while it's sooooo hot!) it can be lived without, it's another thing to be stranded on the side of the road without assistance because your car kicked the bucket midstride to the grocery store.
i also recommend trying what marie did. also, my car kept overheating for no apparent reason because there was dust (literally, dirt/dust) covering a pipe and it recognized it as build-up. maybe a nice windblow to the engine with the top up could remove any debris and help...
consider calling around to some of the mom and pop car places and see what they have that is minimal of minimal of minimal to purchase. consider trying to barter with them. do you, as a family, have something you can offer the mom and pop car shop? with the economy these days, anything goes when it comes to making a great deal. i can't tell you how much bartering has become a relatively popular subject of discussion amongst people just to maintain business and keep customers coming back. the worst they're going to say is no, after all.
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