Grand Prix time

Tonight is the Grand Prix for Rebecca’s AWANA group. It’s supposed to be a great relationship-builder for father and child as they design and shape and cut and paint a pinewood derby car. What it really is, though, is a place for dads with an engineering bent to try and outdo all the other dads doing the same thing.

Okay, that’s cynical; forgive me. But last year Rebecca’s car didn’t even cross the finish line, which led everyone to question Sean’s engineering credentials. That car would have won every race it ran if Sean had designed the car by himself. But unlike many of the other dads, he actually let Rebecca work on her own car. Which meant the wheels got hammered in crooked. Which meant the car wouldn’t run well. Which meant her car lost each race it ran. But Rebecca has wonderful memories of working on the car with her dad and she has no idea why that car wouldn’t race. Michael told her it was because Hummers just don’t race as well as other cars. Sometimes the big brother comes through.

Tonight Sean’s feeling more upbeat about this year’s car. Rebecca did a good job designing a more race-worthy car. (It’d be hard not to improve over the boxy Hummer of last year.) But I’m dreading the race. Dreading it. Last year I had to console both Rebecca, because her car lost and Sean, because his engineering ability was questioned. I’d just like a chance to congratulate them. And that will happen if her car can simply cross the finish line.

I don’t generally pray for things like this. I know God says to pray about all things but I have problems praying for things that seem trivial – world peace, yes, winning the Grand Prix… okay, as I typed that I realized it’s closer to world peace than I’d first thought. I know it may not be world peace but it will be family peace. Which, I suppose could lead to world peace, in a majorly extrapolated kind of way…

Tune in tomorrow for race results!

Rebecca's excited because her car looks like a Pontiac. They build excitement, you know.