You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch - or - How the Grinch Stole My Car

Heather - "Oh joy! It's Saturday, we slept in until 10, the sun is shining, it's 11:30 and we are going to get a Christmas tree! Isn't it a great day, Andy?"
Andy - "Did you take the Nissan anywhere last night?"
Heather - "No."
Andy - "Well, someone else did. It's not where I parked it last night."

Yes. The Grinch stole our car.

We live in an apartment complex that we love. We have a one car garage that we park our brand new Subaru in (we are so blessed). We park our other car, a hot 1991 Nissan Sentra, in the lot with everyone else. Sometime Friday evening Mr. Grinch decided to take it. The tears I shed were only because I was afraid we wouldn't be able to get a Christmas tree.

We are so blessed. Let me count the ways:

1. There was nothing valuable in that car
2. The car had a garage door remote in it - they could have gotten a lot of things that are more valuable to us
3. It's only a car
4. We didn't like the car, anyway
5. We were thinking of replacing it in the next year
6. It had a few issues
7. God has blessed us so financially that buying another car won't be a big deal (well, as long as we can find one under a few thousand dollars)
8. Our insurance will cover it
9. Our job schedules are the same and are only a few miles apart, so trying to drive with one car takes only a little adjusting

Why someone wanted to steal a 91 Nissan Sentra with the paint falling off, I don't know. It was probably a drug addict wanting to sell the metal and parts. 91 Nissans aren't the hardest to steal, from what I hear. They sure aren't real classy cars.

All in all, we are overwhelmed with gratitude to our Lord. Everything we have belongs to Him anyway. We are merely caretakers of the things we have. I'm reminded of the parable of the rich young ruler who had done so well financially. He had stock piles of grain and wine and thought he would just relax and enjoy the ride. That night the Lord came to him and said his life was reqired of him that moment. What were all his posessions then? Nothing. God has already blessed us beyond our basic needs. We are not unhappy. We have every cause for cheer.

Our Christmas just got a lot humbler, too. Of course, I was used to that growing up. It wasn't until I got older that I realized just how poor we were. We always had a roof and clothes and food and heat, but not much more. A good Christmas was one where I got $15 worth of clothes for my barbies. But the Christmas that I look back on with the most fondness was when we were the poorest.

We couldn't afford a tree that year, so we put our lights around the fireplace mantle. We had these lights from Ciudad Juarez in Mexico that looked like flowers and got so hot you would burn your fingers if you touched them (this was Texas in the 80's okay? Nobody cared about fire hazards). I think from my parents I got one package of barbie clothes that probably only cost a couple of dollars. My brothers and I took our own toys that we knew the other liked and gave it to them. Such sacrifice for an eight year old. We drew "I love you" pictures and wrapped them up. And then began the longest tradition for my family - toilet paper. I think my younger brother wrapped it up for my older brother. And we laughed and laughed and laughed. It brings tears to my eyes even now.

That was my favorite Christmas. Obviously it had nothing to do with presents. We gave to each other gifts out of our own poverty and shared love and laughs. Love and laughter was never something that lacked in our family, but it was ever more precious on that day.

I digress... God is so good to us. Not only does he take care of our basic needs, he has taken care of our greatest need for a Savior. We are ever more grateful as we celebrate the birth of our Savior with less pomp and circumstance than usual. Oh, God is good! Mr. Grinch, you can steal our car but you can't steal our joy!