Bye Bye Audi

Winter has taken it's toll on our trusty car. First, the battery died and had to be replaced. Then, last week while on my way home from work the engine died. We had high hopes for a cheap fix, a simple culprit. But no, our hopes were crushed when we learned that the problem included many parts - and oxygen flow sensor, the oil pump, internal engine damage... once they got to the engine they decided they were wasting their time looking at it. A new engine costs $7000 and that doesn't include labor. That's more than our 1996 Audi A4 is worth! So by the time all parts and labor were completed we'd be looking at a bill of around $9000. We can certainly buy ourselves a whole other car for that.

So the part that hurts is that our car is now worth nothing. We could try to sell off the parts but have no desire or time to store and strip the car apart and list parts on ebay or whatever. We considered converting the car to electric but after some research learned that this process would likely take us 6-12 months to complete and around $6000. Not a practical choice at this point.

So we're left with two options, try to get a dealership to give us something for a trade (highly unlikely) or take it to a salvage yard. A1 Imports offered us $175. Ouch. That hurts. It's a bit of a punch in the gut to have a car that felt like a safe and reliable asset to basically poop out completely and become worthless. This brings me to a lesson of material worth...

We've gone in circles trying to figure out how we can sqeeze just a few more bucks out of this car but the energy and effort just feels so exhausting and we haven't even done anything yet! In many ways I feel like I could get pretty upset and depressed about the situation. It certainly is a financial burden and stressor for our family in the dead of winter. But some how I feel grateful. Grateful that this is our card and not something worse. We are all safe and sound and the car is the only casualty here. We are so blessed to have options, however few. I feel like praising God for this particular trial. This is one I can handle. I'm more than OK. I'm hopeful, and in this moment recognize and look to Jesus as my provider.