The Model A Pickup - December 13, 2023

My An Arkie's Faith column from the December 13, 2023, issue of The Polk County Pulse.

My Daddy grew up in a Ford Model A. By the time he was eight years old he was driving the family Model A. One of the ways that the family earned money was by peddling eggs, fruit, and vegetables door to door. By the time he was eight years old, when the traffic was light, his Momma would send Daddy back down the street to pull the Model A up to where she was. Daddy remembered having to look through the steering wheel instead of over it.

Over the years Daddy owned many antique and special interest collector cars. But the cars he loved the most were Model A’s. In 1992, he drove a Shay Model A on several trips. On one trip he drove the Model A from Arkansas to Dawson City, Yukon in Canada. From there, he traveled on the Dempster Highway toward Inuvik. Driving his Model A above the Arctic Circle was one of his proudest achievements. Later that year he took another vacation, driving the Model A to Key West, Florida. Over the years, I heard him tell the story of driving his Model A to the Arctic Circle and the Florida Keys in the same year to hundreds of people.

The last old car Daddy bought was a 1930 Ford Model A Roadster Pickup. He was no longer driving his old cars and wasn’t interested in purchasing any. But he bought this original Model A pickup when offered it. The Model A had been donated to the TV ministry. It Is Written, by one of the owners of McKee Foods, makers of Little Debbie Snack Cakes. When It Is Written contacted Daddy to see if he was interested in purchasing the Model A, he told them he was no longer buying cars, but he did have a soft spot for Model A’s. 

After negotiating a price and finding transport from Chattanooga to Mena, the day finally arrived when the Model A pickup was delivered. Daddy was excited to see his new purchase. He loved the untouched original look. In its unrestored condition with the cracked and pealing black lacquer paint, the Model A pickup looked the way it would have eighty years ago when Daddy first learned to drive in a Model A.

We moved cars around in our building to accommodate the new acquisition. I asked Daddy if he wanted to try and start the Model A Pickup. He said, “Not today,” and returned to his favorite chair and scrolling through Facebook on his iPad. For the next three years, he loved to show people his Model A Roadster Pickup and tell them that the previous owner was the owner of Little Debbie’s. Several more times over the years, I asked Daddy if he wanted to try and start the Model A, and his answer was always the same. “Not today.”

Two months ago, Daddy passed away suddenly. After the shock and taking care of the necessary things had subsided, I turned my attention to the shop and everything that would need to be done there. I started thinking about getting some of the cars in Daddy’s collection running again. I mentioned to several people that I would like to get the Model A pickup running but didn’t know much about Model A’s. 

One day, a customer came by the shop and said, “I hear you have a Model A that you want to get running.” “Yes, I do,” I replied. He told me he had been working on Model A’s for years, and in the next day or two, he would come by and see what we could do. The very next day, he showed up and was anxious to get to work. He showed me where the fuel shut-off valve was located under the dash. After turning the fuel valve on, he made sure the spark control lever on the left side of the steering wheel was pushed up. Then he pulled the throttle lever on the right side of the steering wheel halfway down.

Pulling the choke control out, he pressed the starter button and pushed the choke control back in as soon as the engine turned over. The Model A pickup that hadn’t been started in years came to life. He pulled the spark control lever down as soon as it started until the engine ran more smoothly. “Hop in,” he said, “let’s go for a ride.”

We drove to the gas station to put more fuel in the little truck. The old gas that had been in the tank for years smelled terrible, so we filled it with new gas. On the way back to the shop, we changed drivers, and for the first time, I was driving the Model A Roadster Pickup. I felt sad that Daddy wasn’t there to see it.

My friend Chad told me I should drive the Model A in the Christmas parade. So we decorated it with lights and cut down a Christmas tree to haul in the pickup bed. My wife and I enjoyed driving the Model A in the parade.

As I drove in the parade, I thought about those years that Daddy had owned the Model A but had never driven or even started it. I was thankful for my customer and Model A expert, who was excited to help me get it running. 

I thought about how often I needed instructions and someone to teach me things I didn’t know. The same thing happens in my spiritual life. Every day, there seem to be things I don’t understand. But God tells me in Psalms 32:8 (AMP), “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you who are willing to learn with My eye upon you.”

Gentle Reader, God has a specific plan and purpose for our lives. These plans come with individual guidance from God Himself. No one else can direct us into what God has for us except Our Creator, who knows us intimately. In Psalms 32:8, God is reassuring us of His devotion and desire to get us where He designed us to be. He is saying I am here and know exactly what to do; all you have to do is follow me. He wants to instruct and teach us so we will be wise. “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:15-16 (NIV)