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Cal's Pastoral Epistles
The Birth of A Corvette
August 2, 2005
Dear friends,
I have the answer to a trivia question for you. It is Bowling
Green, Kentucky. Now the next time someone asks you
where the only Chevy Corvette Assembly plant in the world
is located, you will be able to impress them. I can go one
step better. I have been there and watched the cars being
put together.
The first Corvette I can remember seeing was not your
typical street model. It was a souped up, colorfully painted
“funny car” at the Connecticut Drag Strip in East Haddam. It
was painted up to look like a shark and boy could it go. The
power and design captured the imagination of this
impressionable twelve year old and the image came back to
me as I got in line for the tour.
To see a Corvette put together, piece by piece, is a “sweet”
treat. The excitement actually grew as the tour progressed.
Our first glimpse of the car was that of a steel frame sitting
on a conveyer belt. In quick succession parts of the body
were added to form the familiar shape that defines the
Corvette. As we walked along, the doors were added, the
dashboard installed and all the instrumentation wired and
put in place. Windows appeared and the roof was tucked
gently into position. With gaping jaws we watched as the
engine and drive train were merged and the individual
pieces finally took on the look of an actual vehicle. The
engine was started for the first time and the Corvette was
born. I could not believe how exciting it was. The tour guide
said that this was all possible because each part was
prepared specifically for each car and laid out in the exact
order needed to complete the job.
It got me thinking about the way that we are put together
and shaped by the experiences of life. I like to say that there
are no coincidences. As I look back on where I have been
and what I have done, I can see how every thing that has
happened to me has helped make me who I am today. The
good experiences have enriched my life. The difficult
moments have forged my character and made me stronger.
Our lives are not exactly assembly lines, but each
experience in life seems to build upon the last one. We
would not be complete without any of the things that have
happened along the way.
I like what the apostle Paul says in Romans 5. “We rejoice in
our suffering because we know that suffering produces
perseverance; perseverance, character; and character,
hope. And hope does not disappoint us.” James takes it a
step further when he says, “Consider it pure joy when you
face trials because you know the testing of your faith
develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work
so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking
anything.”
As each Corvette came to the end of the assembly line, a
technician jumped in and drove the car through a final
series of tests. The first thing you heard as the car took off
under its own power was the squealing of tires. What else
would you expect from a high performance car? It will be the
same for us when we stand before the throne of glory. The
experiences of this life will have shaped us to stand tall and
reflect God’s grace. So go ahead and squeal your tires. You
are an exquisite creation.
God Bless. See you in Church. Cal
August 2, 2005
Dear friends,
I have the answer to a trivia question for you. It is Bowling
Green, Kentucky. Now the next time someone asks you
where the only Chevy Corvette Assembly plant in the world
is located, you will be able to impress them. I can go one
step better. I have been there and watched the cars being
put together.
The first Corvette I can remember seeing was not your
typical street model. It was a souped up, colorfully painted
“funny car” at the Connecticut Drag Strip in East Haddam. It
was painted up to look like a shark and boy could it go. The
power and design captured the imagination of this
impressionable twelve year old and the image came back to
me as I got in line for the tour.
To see a Corvette put together, piece by piece, is a “sweet”
treat. The excitement actually grew as the tour progressed.
Our first glimpse of the car was that of a steel frame sitting
on a conveyer belt. In quick succession parts of the body
were added to form the familiar shape that defines the
Corvette. As we walked along, the doors were added, the
dashboard installed and all the instrumentation wired and
put in place. Windows appeared and the roof was tucked
gently into position. With gaping jaws we watched as the
engine and drive train were merged and the individual
pieces finally took on the look of an actual vehicle. The
engine was started for the first time and the Corvette was
born. I could not believe how exciting it was. The tour guide
said that this was all possible because each part was
prepared specifically for each car and laid out in the exact
order needed to complete the job.
It got me thinking about the way that we are put together
and shaped by the experiences of life. I like to say that there
are no coincidences. As I look back on where I have been
and what I have done, I can see how every thing that has
happened to me has helped make me who I am today. The
good experiences have enriched my life. The difficult
moments have forged my character and made me stronger.
Our lives are not exactly assembly lines, but each
experience in life seems to build upon the last one. We
would not be complete without any of the things that have
happened along the way.
I like what the apostle Paul says in Romans 5. “We rejoice in
our suffering because we know that suffering produces
perseverance; perseverance, character; and character,
hope. And hope does not disappoint us.” James takes it a
step further when he says, “Consider it pure joy when you
face trials because you know the testing of your faith
develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work
so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking
anything.”
As each Corvette came to the end of the assembly line, a
technician jumped in and drove the car through a final
series of tests. The first thing you heard as the car took off
under its own power was the squealing of tires. What else
would you expect from a high performance car? It will be the
same for us when we stand before the throne of glory. The
experiences of this life will have shaped us to stand tall and
reflect God’s grace. So go ahead and squeal your tires. You
are an exquisite creation.
God Bless. See you in Church. Cal
Pastor Cal Lord writes these weekly epistles to
help us see God in every day things.
help us see God in every day things.
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