Cayenne vs. Caravan
There is a joke in our family that goes a little something like this, “You haven’t lived until you have traveled across the country in a minivan with three kids.” Yes, I know there are more taxing scenarios, but give the Meyers family some “grace,” 1000 miles one-way from Texas back home to Conyers, Georgia is slightly exhausting.
While making this journey many activities take place in the “Chuckwagon” — our name for our minivan: eating, sleeping (not by me), arguing, watching movies, playing games, laughing, and the occasional, “what is that smell . . .?” However, since my responsibility lies in the driving my participation to the above is limited, except of course the eating part. So, being the some-what car junky that I am, I tend to spend my miles watching and looking for various new, old, unique, or just different cars and or trucks.
As the Chuckwagon was just this side of Baton Rouge (545 miles left) I saw a beautiful sight approaching my left rear-view mirror. It was a fast approaching Porsche Cayenne – the four-door Porsche version of an SUV. As it quickly passed me, I noticed something unique besides its speed — it had a Fulton County license plate. As it quickly left the horizon I shared with the rest of the family about what I had seen. Somewhere between a movie and a snack the information went upon deaf ears . . . until Mobile, Al.
As we pulled out of Mobile (after numerous stops) I made the statement, “here it comes again.” Yes, the same Porsche with the Fulton County plate passed at roughly the same pace. Obviously we had made some stops, at their speed they had pulled over and taken a nap. This time the family took notice, because of the license plate, and the Porsche quickly departed our view until . . .
That’s right, 285. Just as we were turning onto 285 toward Conyers from I-85 I saw the sight again – a bright Porsche Cayenne in my rear-view mirror. Can it be? Surely not? Yes, as it passed it was the same car with the same license plate. We had traveled the same distance in the same amount of time, but in two very different fashions. You know, Dave Ramsey is right, “The tortoise wins the race every time I read the book.”
Allow the following chart to disclose the differences, as if they were not already very apparent from the above pictures.
| Porsche Cayenne | Meyers family Dodge Grand Caravan | |
| Value | $60,700 according to the Porsche “build it yourself guide.” | Currently on www.kbb.com it has a $4,450 trade in value. |
| Horsepower | 385 (s model) | 215 (yes, I got the big engine!) |
| 0-60 time | 6.4 seconds | 11 seconds (15 fully loaded with the family) |
| Top Speed | 155 mph | Not officially listed. The speedometer “goes to 160” and my kids think that is how fast it will go – so please do not spoil it! |
| Cool factor | For a family – a 10+ | Since it has a DVD player I’ll give it a 2, but only a 1 when I’m the only one in it. |
You might be wondering right about now, what is Jeff thinking with this one? Well, since I had about an hour of thinking time from the time the Porsche and I parted ways for the last time I got to thinking. . .
Spiritually speaking, we have a natural gravitation to being like the Porsche – we have sporadic moments of great and fast gains followed by momentary lapses of concentration, desire, or ambition toward the things of God. Does this sound like your days between Sundays, revivals, camps, conferences, etc.? However, often our natural gravitations are not the best strategy, spiritually speaking.
It is the daily “plodding” of trusting God and allowing Him to daily take you where you need to go that ultimately pays the greatest spiritual dividends. I know, it’s not glamorous (Minivan vs. Porsche) but it works. How often do you want the emotional “mountain top experience” or exciting “feeling” when ultimately God wants to walk beside you daily and steadily?
Maybe that’s why the Bible records in John 6:66, “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.” Yes, Jesus had just walked on water and fed the 5,000, but He emphasized that He was the “bread of life.” In other words, Jesus does not walk on water everyday, but He is willing to “feed us” daily.
I was enjoying the road trip story, then, BAM, you tied it right into our spiritual lives. Great work Pastor Jeff!
I was having flashbacks to Christmas Vacation….with the Porsche that pulls up beside him in the movie several times. But I knew the ending would be different. Enjoyed the story and how you tied it all together!