El Dorado Dreams.
I had Cadillac dreams with a Chevy Celebrity budget!
🪙When I was a kid, my dream car was the stunning Cadillac El Dorado—a sleek, two-door luxury cruiser that practically whispered, “Hey girl…” It embodied style and sophistication, but it was way out of my price range. My first real car? A brownish rust colored Chevy Celebrity. Let me tell you there was no celebrity riding around in that thing! At least it wasn’t a Yugo, with its whopping 45 horsepower and a top speed of maybe 85 mph if you were lucky. A little before my time came the infamous Ford Pinto. Fun fact: “Pinto” means “small male genitals” in Brazilian slang—talk about a marketing disaster! Their slogan didn’t help: “Different where it counts.” Ouch.
Today, a new car costs roughly half a year’s salary for the average American. Interestingly, back in the 1800s, a good horse often cost about the same—around half a year’s wages. Even further back in biblical times, a horse represented roughly six months to a full year’s salary. That brings me to one of Jesus’ most powerful stories: the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25). A wealthy master entrusts three servants with different amounts of money—called “talents”—before leaving on a journey. Each amount matched their own ability. One gets five talents, another two, and the last one talent. The first two servants go to work immediately: investing, trading, and doubling what they were given. When the master returns, he praises them, saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You’ve been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” But the third servant, given the smallest amount, buries it in the ground out of fear. When the master returns, the servant hands back exactly what he received. The master calls him wicked and lazy, takes the talent away, and casts him out. A quick note: a biblical talent was a massive weight—about 75–85 pounds of gold or silver, worth roughly 15–20 years of a laborer’s wages. That lazy servant didn’t just hide a coin; he dug a hole big enough to bury a 75-pound block! That effort alone shows how much fear can drive us to do the wrong thing. God gives each of us talents and gifts according to our abilities—not to bury, but to invest. And one of the greatest calls He gives is in Matthew 28:18–20: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them… teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Build His kingdom! Fear and inadequacy will shout: “I’m no saint. I can’t preach or teach.” But right after the command, Jesus promises, “I am with you always” That promise changed everything for me.
After becoming a Christian, I dove into studying the Bible, hungry to have something worth sharing. After about a year of growth, I noticed my dreams changed. Instead of longing for that golden Cadillac, I wanted to hear “well done” from the master. I began asking God, “What’s my purpose? What am I here to do?” Months of seeking led to clear dreams and direction: my calling is evangelism and teaching—I’ve been able to live this out through media, missions, and serving at my local church.
It doesn’t matter if you see yourself as a Cadillac El Dorado or a rusty Chevy Celebrity. The Lord is with us, empowering the work He calls us to. When our grandkids ask, “What did you do when the world went crazy?” we won’t say we buried our heads in the sand—or our talents in the ground. We can confidently said, I did the work of an evangelist, teacher, worship team member, volunteer, or whatever the call is for you! We can all pray, love, reach, teach, and invest wherever we are. That place is your mission field. Jesus promises that if you seek, you will find. It’s never too late to get back on mission and use what talents He’s entrusted to you. Tell me in the comments about your first car. 🪙
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What was your first car??