Rod & Rose

For Sale: 1994 Dodge Viper R/T 10. Original Owner. Red with grey leather interior; A/C; 2^nd generation wheels; also includes original wheels and tires; 7,300 miles. Kept in carpeted garage with no natural light. Ready to break out into the light with a new owner!

This is an ad I never imagined writing. My first car was a 1962 Impala SS with a 327 c.i. 4 barrel – red with a white convertible top. I sold it for $300 in 1969. Today it’s probably worth something in the range of $25,000 to $30,000. When I hit my mid-life crisis (make that my mid-life “Chrysler”) shortly after I turned 40, I decided the Viper would be a great car to buy and keep…a good car to have in the garage. It’s been fun to drive and own, but it’s time to let ‘er go. (She really is for sale.)

We all have experienced necessary transitions in our lives as we move through life’s stages. Something that made perfect sense one day makes little sense the next. The concessions we once so desperately needed sometimes seem silly as we enter into a new era of our journey.

I’m at another crisis point in my life where – once again – I’m reevaluating my priorities. And I’m compelled from somewhere deep within my spirit to live a nimble life. It’s a part of stripping down to the things that are most essential.

Possibly I will regret selling the Viper. Time will tell. But there’s a certain kind of pain in every choice we make – letting go of one thing to take hold of something else. Or holding on for dear life to something because of our fear of the unknown.

From my vantage point today, selling the Viper is the right choice. And I will hold on lightly to everything else that is currently under my care – knowing that my possessions are not really mine. All that is truly “mine” is my love for my Lord, and my willingness to allow him to guide me along the path he has chosen for me to follow—today.

Possibly you relate to letting go of something that at one time seemed as though it would always be a part of your life. I would love to hear your story. (Now, please excuse me as I go find a tissue…)