God Notions

Proverbs 22:6

On Sunday evenings, there is an older gentleman who drives a shiny, candy apple red Ferrari to the ice cream shop. He always parks it away from the crowd and in the shade, clearly, this is his treasure and though he welcomes people to come up and take a look, he is careful to keep hands and melted gooey away from his beautiful ride.

My young son, William, and I witnessed this ritual for many years, watching from a distance but always feeling a ping of excitement when the red Ferrari made its way to its honorary spot. William would announce each Sunday evening, “That’s my dream car!” 

All too soon the appeal of Sunday evening ice cream with me and the show-stopping appearance of the red Ferrari ended. 

Teaching my son to have integrity, to be virtuous, honorable, and a gentleman was difficult at times. Teaching him that he has value and worth just for who he is, took more thought on my part because a lot of times, if not always, men find their value in what they do and have, not in who or Who’s they are. I wanted William to understand his value because he is…I love him just because he is my son. God loves and values him just because he is William.

Following Christ can be difficult at any age. Not wanting to be different from the world, and almost everything about Christ and following Him is different from the world…from the culture. Is it not more challenging for a young person, young men especially? 

I was at a loss to convey to him his value until I remembered the red Ferrari.  

I started the conversation by asking William if he remembered that red Ferrari.  “Yes!” he answered with a smile. I continued, “Remember how that was your dream car? If you had your dream car, would you toss the keys to just anyone to take it for a drive? Would you let girls come up with all their: bracelets, necklaces, nails, and heels and allow them to sit on or lay on your Ferrari?” “No.,” he said cautiously now. “You would take care of it and protect it and be picky about who you would trust with it. Right?” “Yes…” he said, looking at me with suspicion like any normal sixteen-year-old.

“Well, you are that Ferrari. Always remember your body is worth protecting, but so is your heart, and mind. Be honorable and a gentleman to others always, but equally important, make sure you protect yourself. Sharing yourself, not just physically but mentally, and emotionally is a very important decision, just like allowing someone to drive your dream car. Make wise choices.”

He hugged me and smiled, then said,” Mom, my dream car hasn’t been a Ferrari for a long time…it’s a Prius”