Cars and Trucks: The Latest reVision module

Helping men teach boys biblical stewardship

We are continuing to develop new modules for our Stockade age boys. The Cars and Trucks module is designed to help men disciple boys in understanding the importance God places on being stewards of all that God has entrusted to us.

Helping the boy answer questions like why he should a boy take responsibility for stuff, whether it's his stuff or somebody else's, this module is about teaching a boy to care about maintaining his car, his house, his computer, himself, and anything else that he comes to be responsible for. By using this to teach about fixing things, we teach him a fundamental principle of life.

This principle is contained in Proverbs 27:23-24 "You should take good care of your sheep and goats, because wealth and honor don't last forever."

Take a look at one of the stories in this module ...

Ready to Win 

by H. G. Pike

It was a terrific accident. Comin’ out of Turn Three, one car hit the marbles, touched another and both went crashing into the wall. One car blew into a thousand pieces. The other, well, when it stopped spinning, there wasn’t much left other than the driver’s cockpit. I had just made up my dropped lap when it happened near the back of the pack. Immediately, the Caution Flag came out. I slowed down, dropped to the apron and avoided the debris. There were pieces of car everywhere, but the two drivers were waving to the crowd as I drove by. Who said car racing wasn’t exciting?

This was the big race. Thirty cars had qualified – mine included, but I was dead last. I guess I was just happy enough to have qualified, ‘cause I’d never done that before. And, it was just as well. I wasn’t anywhere near the big crash at the start the race. Man, Somebody was watchin’ out for me that day.

Now, here we were with 28 laps left to go and only ten cars left in the race. I was gonna have a Top-Ten finish, but if I kept my head, maybe I’d be first. Right then, I had to catch up to the pack. The radio squawked to life. “Hey, Buddy.” It was my Crew Chief. “You might as well cool your jets. It looks like it’s going to be a long caution. They’re saying the track’s pretty chewed-up. Ya may be finishing under a Yellow Flag.”

Oh great. That would put me in tenth place. I could park it and do that. But, maybe there’d be time; maybe we’d get racing again. Nobody likes finishin’ a race under a Caution Flag.

I took it easy and caught up to the back of the pack with only 24 laps to go. There was a bunch of chatter on our crew radio; everybody tryin’ to figure out what we should do to win. I don’t listen much until the Crew Chief chimes in, but there was something about everybody bein’ low on fuel.

Now, ya gotta understand that as a car goes faster, it eats more fuel. So, when we were drivin’ slow like that, it saves you a lotta gas. We all had plenty enough to finish the race, but if we went back to racing, we’d suck our tanks dry like that. SNAP. (That was me snappin’ my fingers.) Sure, we could head to the pits for a “Splash ‘n’ Go”, but if ya don’t time it right, you could end up a lap down, and no time to make it up.

“Hey, Buddy.” It was my Crew Chief, again. “There’s 18 laps to go. We’re bringing you in for a set of Stickers (that’s new tires) and some fuel. The Spotter was pretty sure you picked up some debris and we want you on fresh rubber if we get the Green.” There was no arguing. The car came first; it was our bread and butter. When it won, we won, so we had ta make sure it was as good as it could be.

As the Pace Car passed the pit lane, I peeled off and pulled into my stall. With a zip of the lugnuts, two tires were changed and then two more. Gas was put in the tank. It was 14 seconds – a good time – but they weren’t letting me go. Three more seconds, then a crewman lifted a pair of pliers holding a chunk of steel debris from under the front end. “You’ve got to look after the details,” he shouted as I roared away. It was a good catch. I was back on the track but still pullin’ up the rear. Four other cars pitted and all had lost their positions, but like me, they were ready to race.

Fifteen, ten, five laps to go. If the Green didn’t come out, our preparations would be for nothing. And then, there it was, the Green. We were racing with four laps to go. In that first lap, the lead car dropped back. I was still in last place, but the car was handling well. It was in the groove and the pavement was just flyin’ by. I passed one car coming out of Turn One. Less than three laps to go. Then, I was beside another on the outside and tradin’ paint. Suddenly, a car up front lost power and dropped down, blocking the cars that weren’t on the wall. I passed another and another. I was in seventh place. Then sixth.

With two laps to go, another lead car lost power and dropped to the apron. He wasn’t prepared to race. All five of those cars that didn’t hit the pits during the Caution weren’t prepared and every one of them dropped out. I was racing for first place – one car ahead of me and three behind.

Well, I didn’t win, but third place was far better than any of us expected. Sure, we were lucky, but I don’t believe in luck. It seems to me that we were bein’ taught a Bible lesson right out of Matthew 25. We were one of those wise virgins. You know the story – five were smart and put gas in their tanks and five were just plain stupid and tried to out-guess Jesus. Well, He sure taught them. And, He taught me. Take good care of your stuff and be ready, ‘cause you just don’t know when He’s coming. His exact words were, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour”. We were ready to win and we did. We won Third Place.