My Treasured Matchbox Car
- By Brian Fegter
- Published 08/6/2008
A few weeks ago one of our elderly ladies approached me and handed me a yellow Hot Wheels car with flames painted down the side. With tears in her eyes she said she wanted to give me a gift. I gave a cynical, but kind look and thanked her. Later I relayed the instance to my wife and told her I was worried that this elderly lady possibly was losing her faculties in her older age.
I put the matchbox car in my desk drawer and forgot about it until two weeks later. The lady approached me at church so I knelt down next to her. With tears in her eyes once again she spoke to me and said, "I hope you didn't think my gift was stupid. I thought for sure the day I gave you that car was going to be my last day on earth. I didn't have any money to get you a gift, nor did I have anything acceptable to give you, but I wanted
you to have something to remember how much I love you and your wife."
I started crying now. This matchbox car was now more than just a car. This diecast, flamed beauty represented an expression of genuine love that was not to be forgotten. It certainly was a sacrifice of pride to endow me with this wonderful treasure. I had misjudged this gift like the Pharisees and rich men judged the widow bringing her mite. Her gift was certainly more valuable than most gifts I had received in my life and I missed it.
Now, you couldn't get me to part with my Hot Wheels ride. It is on my list of valuable possessions. It's on my short list to take if there were ever a fire. It's a constant reminder of an elder's love for me. It's a two-by-four to the head that tells me to stop taking everything at face value and appreciate simple expressions of love.
I put the matchbox car in my desk drawer and forgot about it until two weeks later. The lady approached me at church so I knelt down next to her. With tears in her eyes once again she spoke to me and said, "I hope you didn't think my gift was stupid. I thought for sure the day I gave you that car was going to be my last day on earth. I didn't have any money to get you a gift, nor did I have anything acceptable to give you, but I wanted
I started crying now. This matchbox car was now more than just a car. This diecast, flamed beauty represented an expression of genuine love that was not to be forgotten. It certainly was a sacrifice of pride to endow me with this wonderful treasure. I had misjudged this gift like the Pharisees and rich men judged the widow bringing her mite. Her gift was certainly more valuable than most gifts I had received in my life and I missed it.
Now, you couldn't get me to part with my Hot Wheels ride. It is on my list of valuable possessions. It's on my short list to take if there were ever a fire. It's a constant reminder of an elder's love for me. It's a two-by-four to the head that tells me to stop taking everything at face value and appreciate simple expressions of love.
Brian Fegter
I am a tech head who is passionate about helping churches find good resources for free or cheap for their IT/media/art departments. From time to time I write articles about technology and how it can be used in the church.
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5 Responses to "My Treasured Matchbox Car" 
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said this on 28 Nov 2009 12:49:30 AM EDT
That's awesome! Thank you for sharing. We all need those "two-by-four" moments now and then to remind us to keep things in perspective. May you have a blessed holiday season!
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said this on 28 Nov 2009 8:55:09 AM EDT
Hey Brian,
The pastors and preachers in the UPCI do NOT want to fulfill the great commission... it would cause Jesus to return and take away their efficient 501c3 money machines. The technology is there to reach the world, the heart of man is ready, but corrupt UPCI pastors will NOT let go of the money they are extorting from God's elect. Using technology to reach the lost is a good idea... too bad we cant get the UPCI hirelings out of the way. "Many preachers building Earthly kingdoms, Come in, Sit Down, pass the plate. Many preachers building worldly kingdoms, Big religion's in and the money's great!" Everyone's apostolic is culpable in the equation... this site is simply a "virtual" version of the money changers. |
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said this on 28 Nov 2009 10:55:35 AM EDT
Tangible, touchy-feely-with-my-fing ers things mean even less to me now at my advancing age. But there are a few things that loved ones have given me in a moment of pure love that I'll cherish for ever. A few things are not tangible, just memories of the moment, and my loved ones may never know what they did for me. For example: the last words my daughter said to me as my daughter before she became a wife. Standing in four inch heels, dressed in a wedding gown with a long train an needing to negotiate a step up the platform she said, "Daddy help me up".
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said this on 28 Nov 2009 11:12:34 AM EDT
Thank you so much for such a touching reminder that we often look over the small things in life. With your permission I would love to be able to pass this on to others through e-mail.
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said this on 29 Nov 2009 6:40:22 AM EDT
Interested in art tech. I am so glad you realized the value of the little gift she gave you. We very seldon do. Fron a little old lady in Iowa. tandign on truth.
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