Messy Vans & the Comfort of Drive-Thrus
Like many moms my age, I have a minivan, and I love her. Though a look at the trash piling up on flat surfaces, crusty French fries in crevices, and spilled sticky-something in the back right cup holder might give you a different impression. I feel slightly guilty about the mess she’s in, and I’ve started giving myself half-hearted mental reminders about her biannual cleaning. But truthfully, the mess is part of the reason I love my van. There are French fries everywhere because it’s the perfect place for meals on the go. Straw wrappers float around like confetti from the delicious iced chais and sweet teas I’ve consumed while playing taxi driver for my children. And the empty spaces beneath dangling kids’ feet hold a mini wardrobe with seasonally appropriate backups of most clothing items, not to mention diapers, wipes, dog poop bags, sunscreen, phone chargers, blankets, charging cables, and more. All while being big enough for three car seats, a booster seat, a wheelchair, a stroller, and space for a driver plus two more adults. It’s the vehicle version of Mary Poppins’ purse, though I imagine she’s far more organized than I am.
We got a minivan when I was pregnant with our second child. I enjoyed the sliding doors, spacious interior, and heated seats but I didn’t truly fall in love with the van until our third child was born. All of a sudden, every trip and excursion became a logistical puzzle. Do I get the shopping cart before or after I get my kids out? What order should I get my kids out and then back in- by age, by need, by wiggliness? How do I push a stroller while holding the hands of flighty preschoolers? You start to question why God didn’t gift moms extra arms so that the number of children would equal the number of hands— it would be weird looking but seems infinitely helpful. But there are no easy solutions and no extra appendages, so I began to plan my life around drive-thrus. My van became my safe haven, a place where the little people in my care were safely buckled and not able to run in traffic, hide in clothes racks, or stand up in the shopping cart, and where I could sit and still get my errands done.
This need for drive-thrus and the comfort of my van increased exponentially with our fourth child. The whole preschooler in a wheelchair plus unwieldy toddler plus little boys with marginal listening skills is a brutal combination when you’re flying solo. But while drive-thrus are comfortable and convenient, you do miss out on the experience available. Ordering to-go at a restaurant deprives you of the smells, the bustle of the kitchen, the service, and the ambiance. Target drive-up takes away the opportunity to walk the clean, quiet aisles and see the artfully displayed home decor items, finding things you never knew you needed. Curbside at the library misses the opportunity to discover a book whose cover quietly draws you in, introducing you to characters you’d never have stumbled upon otherwise. Instead, the drive-thru keeps you in your comfort zone, surrounded only by the familiar, however messy it is.
A few months ago, I heard a line in a song that said, “We want drive through peace and instant hope.” The truth of the statement struck me. And not just because of my love for drive-thrus, but because that’s exactly what I want. I want to open my Bible app and find peace in the verse of the day. I want to say a prayer listing my needs and find peace when I open my eyes. I want peace delivered to me in a comfortable place with the littlest effort on my part. Isaiah 26:3 says, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” And John 14:26 says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” Keeping my mind fixed on Christ requires work. It requires intentionality; it requires seeking him in the words of the Bible, praying as a form of communication instead of a laundry list, and opening my eyes to the Holy Spirit at work in the world around me. And the gift of a mind set on Christ is peace, which is just the tip of the iceberg. Waffle fries and sweet tea, dog food and groceries, diapers and medication, they’re all great to have delivered from the comfort of your car. But sometimes a drive-thru isn’t enough, and we would be wise to know when we need to get up and start seeking.
Here’s the song, O God Forgive Us by for KING & COUNTRY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz4toSf-xQU
