HOW'S YOUR MILEAGE?

        Is there a graduation gift you’ve purchased for someone this spring? Allen Swift (1908–2010) of Springfield, Massachusetts, received a remarkable gift from his father for his college graduation when he was just twenty years old. It was a brand new car. Many a man at that time wished he would have gotten such a graduation gift, but no one would have considered keeping and driving that car for the rest of his life.
        But that’s just what Allen Swift did. His gift was a new 1928 Rolls Royce Piccadilly-P1 Roadster, and he achieved the remarkable feat of continuing to drive it right up until  his death in 2010 at the age of 102. He was the  oldest living owner of a car that had been purchased new. His 1928 Rolls is a marvel of craftsmanship.
        When it  was donated by his family to a Springfield auto museum after his death, the odometer showed 1,070,000 miles on it. That’s 13,000 miles per year, or 1,100 miles per month. It still ran very well, almost like a Swiss watch, its engine quiet at most speeds and body in near-perfect condition even though it had been built 82 years before. They certainly don’t make them like this anymore, do they?
        How many miles does your odometer show, the odometer on your life? How many years have you held up, and how are you running? God wants us to take care of our bodies, but He doesn’t give us all the same kind. Men and women all have body types that vary. I’ve seen people at 85 who are in better condition than others at 65, and no matter how carefully some people take care to eat and exercise properly, their body deteriorates as fast as someone who doesn’t care for his as much.
        A car body certainly isn’t like a human body. God has given us the miracle of human life for a determined span on this incredible planet. When our time comes to leave, we then will all know what it will be like on the “other side.” Praise God that He promises eternal glory in His presence to all who believe and have faith in His Son Jesus Christ.

Give God thanks for the miles on your life’s odometer!

Rev. Bob Tasler
www.bobtasler.com