Finally Driving My Family...

...and not just up the wall, mind you. Well, pardon the naivete but I don't mind telling you that it still feels absolutely exhilarating to me. I've been driving B to school and back for two weeks now, and each time I am filled with gratitude for the car that was given to us, for the mobility we have, for the freedom to go to serve and attend evening Church services, especially as Holy Week approaches. The sense of newness and excitement behind the wheel will soon fade, I am told, and I might soon find driving to be a chore or a tiresome routine, but I really do pray that I won't. I really hope I won't forget how generous God has been to us in giving us a car. At any rate, if any of you catch me complaining about driving, I happily give you leave to knock me on the head and say, "Hey, shut up and give thanks for the car, you ungrateful amnesiac! Count your blessings!"

And blessings there have truly been. The first week after we got the car, the UK experienced a sudden cold snap--- bitter cold, snowy weather, wind to freeze the marrow in your bones. I thanked God--- continually, profusely, repeatedly, until His divine ears must have fallen off--- for sparing B from having to walk to and from school in that horrible weather, and to me, it was a concrete, undeniable example of God's insane, practical and unbelievable love for B and our whole family. He KNEW the cold snap was coming, and so he sent us the car the weekend prior. His timing was impeccable! And I swear, only three short words were constantly playing in my mind like a looped digital banner that whole week: "Thank You, God... Thank You, God... Thank You, God..."

Last weekend, for the first time, I drove the whole family down to West London--- a 68-mile return journey through village roads, the motorway and the city streets of London. Reaching peak speeds of 70mph on the motorway, navigating the complex junctions and roundabouts of London and getting through heavy, creeping traffic was no mean feat for a week-old driver like myself. Thanks to O's capable navigating, we stayed on course and didn't get lost. Who needs a GPS SatNav when husbands can read maps, too? Anyway, I was so incredibly ecstatic at my humble mini-achievement that I must admit, once we got back, I did allow myself a passing moment of pride in my little accomplishment, before senselessly collapsing in a tired and trembling mass of jelly arms and putty legs on the bed!

What This Car Means To Me

You may not believe this, but there are still some very generous people left on this planet.

Take the Thoelkes. A handsome, godly pair of grandparents, members of Antioch community who prayerfully decided to give us their old car once I passed my driving test last year. Yes, not sell, not lend-- GIVE. As in, for free.

Last Thursday, they drove the car all the way up to our house from London and gave us the keys. It's a lovely car. Well-kept, low mileage, trouble-free engine. We love it!

You cannot imagine how ecstatic we were. Because it was given to us for free, we were able to spend the money intended to buy another car on a trip to visit family in California last month! That was a real blessing from the Lord. As expats, it was wonderful to be among loved ones again, to see our children playing (and fighting and making up) with their cousins, to share quiet moments with our parents, siblings, in-laws and friends. That trip deserves a blog entry all to itself!

I drove our car for the first time the day we got the insurance papers, and yesterday I drove the whole family for the first time, and it was meaningful because our first drive was to the Church. It was appropriate, I thought, to make the Church our first stop, as it was God who made it possible for us to have this car, and we wanted to thank Him and to offer the Lord back what this car will allow us to do:

• This car will allow me to serve my family in harsh weather, so they need not walk through rain, hail or 30mph gusts of wind. This morning, there was snow and bitter cold, and as I drove B to school for the first time, I praised God in my heart that he did not have to walk 20 minutes in this weather anymore. B is so thankful to God for our car, and so appreciative of my new driving skills, that just to see him so happy and grateful is more than enough to overwhelm me.
• This car will let me serve God more, as I become more mobile to go to choir practice, volunteer for parish rotas, become more involved in our local community. I plan to sign up for these services soon, and hopefully it will help me to make new friends in our parish.
• This car will let me serve others, as I give people a lift home when they need one. I plan to keep a booster seat in the boot all the time, so I'll always be ready to give lifts to other kids when their mums are busy.
• This car will let us become more active members of Antioch Community, and perhaps even become part of weeknight sharing groups, hopefully soon. I hope I'll be more confident driving on the motorway, so that I can be brave enough to drive on the M1 even at night.
• This car will let me bring my family to so many beautiful places in England. Villages, shops, the countryside. Oh, I have a mental list of all the places where I will drive them! Oh Lord, let it be summer soon, please!

In other words, this car is far more than just four wheels and five seats to us. It opens up for us a completely different world with exciting opportunities and things to explore. We cannot thank God enough for sending the Thoelkes to us, and for this car, which will change the way we live our lives from now on.

Nette Back on the Net

I wish there was an easy way to explain why I haven't been blogging these past months.

To start off, just to get them out of the way, here are a few of the non-reasons:

• I found a job and got too busy to blog
• We moved to a remote part of the world which has no internet access, like, say, the Antarctic
• I began writing my book and my publishers told me to forsake my blogs
• Simon Cowell finally discovered my talent and signed me up for a recording contract

But for whatever it's worth, I'm back. And here to stay.

Let's catch up, shall we? I have loads to tell.