Debt is an insidious master. This entry, from April 29, 2007, is about paying off the car I owned at the time. WHAT A FEELING!
Tomorrow is a big day for me. Last week, my income tax return arrived via the mail, providing me with a nice spring bonus. Two days ago, I called the 1-800 number listed on my monthly bill from Toyota Financial Services and talked to Nick who relayed to me the exact amount of the buyout option on my 1999 Corolla. With my IRS refund safely deposited in the bank, I have enough to pay off my car seventeen months before its original due date. Tomorrow, I will make the final installment, saving a chunk of money in the process. According to Nick, the title will be in my hands within ten days of the check arriving in Dallas. When people ask me what kind of car I own, I tell them a Toyota. But in reality, it's the property of Toyota Financial Services. That's about to change.
I hate debt. The Toyota is the fourth car I have financed and I have despised every minute. I don't like owing anything to anybody but unless you are a millionaire, sometimes there is no option. I'm pretty sure I have paid each car off early but that interest eats you up. I'm happy that I have been able to pay off my debts quickly and not become a slave to the bank or the credit card company. But there's one debt I can never handle myself. My debt of sin is probably equivalent to the national deficit. I can't pay it off or work it off. Jesus told several parables in which unpayable debts were erased by a gracious master with compassion. My obligation was absorbed by the payment of blood, the only currency valuable enough to clear my account. On my coffee table is a little sign reading My Boss Is A Jewish Carpenter. That's catchy but I'd like to add Estate Planner to his job description. After all, he took care of my debt and arranged for my permanent retirement. I don't think I'll be needing that Toyota long-term.
Applicable quote of the day:
"Debt is the worst poverty."
Thomas Fuller
God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
http://www.hawleybooks.com/
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com
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