When we took a trip to Kemah, with our daughter and grandchildren, I reserved a mini-van from a nearby rental company. I knew there was plenty of room in the van we selected, because I had rented the same model on many occasions. I try to plan our trips to avoid problems along the way and was relieved the transportation issue was settled. That is why I was upset when I arrived to pick up the van, only to discover a problem. They couldn’t rent us the van we requested because it was due for maintenance.
The rental agent was polite, but insisted I could not rent the van and offered me a free upgrade. I didn’t want an upgrade, figuring he was going to stick me with a huge vehicle I would have to get used to. I’ve been driving small to midsized vehicles for as long as I can remember and didn’t need the added stress of driving a big vehicle in Houston traffic. He had nothing else that would hold our family, so I had no choice but to accept the Infinity QX80 he offered. Don’t get me wrong, it is the most expensive ($70-90K) luxury SUV Infinity has and I rented it for the price of a cheap mini-van. I had already paid for extra insurance, so I wasn’t worried about damaging it and the agent gave me a full tank of gas. The small cargo space was a concern, but everyone had packed light and our luggage just fit.
After I drove the larger vehicle a few miles, I discovered it was very comfortable and stable on the road. Even after three days of use, we didn’t use all the accessories on that fully loaded vehicle. We drove through rain showers in Houston on the way to our destination and the heavier vehicle handled the wet roads and wind much better than a mini-van would have. That gave me a sense of security when we drove through bad thunderstorms on our return trip. Yes, that upgrade was more than I could have imagined or could afford, but it was nice!
That reminds of when I became a Christian. I asked for forgiveness and was given eternal life, because “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16 KJV).
I asked for compassion and was given a love like I couldn’t imagine! “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13 KJV). I asked for help and was made a child of GOD! “Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God” (1 John 3:1 KJV). I asked how I could repay GOD for what He had given me, but He said it cost the life of His Son. I asked how I could show my love and JESUS simply said “Feed my sheep” (John 21:17 KJV).
The upgrade wasn’t our idea, but “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8 KJV) and He wants to bless us “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Eph 3:20 KJV). Go ahead and take the upgrade, it is really nice!
Wayne Lance