The Decision My Father Made That Changed Our Family Forever
Some of my most precious memories of my dad revolve around a car—like picking me up from roller skating when I was twelve, and driving me to my first job out of school, and. . . the night I called him at 1am to say I’d missed the last train home. He drove an hour in to the city to get me and went to work bleary-eyed the next morning. I promised I’d never do it again.
A few days later, I did it again.
A car, it turns out, plays a special role in my family history. My father first locked eyes on my mother at a party in London, and later asked her out for a country drive, picking her up in his 1950s Rover sedan. That car was his treasured possession. Mum and dad soon became an item, but there was a problem. Mum was about to move to Peru. Dad took her to the airport, then five months later arrived in Peru himself—to propose. And the best part of the story?
He’d sold his beloved Rover to pay for the plane ticket.
Giving Up Something, Changing Everything
It makes me wonder what my own treasured possession is and who I’d give it up for. For my mum, dad selling his Rover wasn’t just about a plane ticket—it was a sign of her worth in his eyes.
Two biblical stories come to mind—the first, about a wealthy young professional who asks Jesus what he has to do to get to heaven. When Jesus tells him to sell his possessions and follow him, the guy walks away—he can’t let go of his goods. The second is about Jesus’ friend, Mary, who throws him a dinner party, and halfway through brings in a bottle of precious perfume worth a year’s wages. It’s probably a family heirloom, passed down through generations, deeply treasured. She breaks open the jar and pours it on Jesus—signifying his worth in her eyes.
The Question That Reveals What We Truly Treasure
I sometimes wonder what would’ve happened if dad had kept his Rover instead of buying that plane ticket. My brother and I might not even be here. If the direction of our lives depends on the quality of our questions, maybe this one holds the power to shape not just our own destinies but others’:
What is my most treasured possession and who would I give it up for?
The answer would have to reveal where our true treasure lies.
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First broadcast on BBC Radio 2’s Scott Mills Breakfast Show
