Giving Away My Honda Accelerated my Adventure

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by Sarah Mattioli

My WYSIWIG adventure began at the end of October 2008 when I first stepped foot in what I like to call the most free and creative church I’ve ever experienced! It wasn’t long before I heard the Lord say, “Give your car away.” This made no sense to me since I knew He wanted me in the city everyday, not only for church but to work with WYSIWIG. But ‘Papa’, how am I going to get there? “Do you trust me?” was one of His replies. My answer was a resounding yes! I gave away my car a month later, launching me into God’s deep, Holy Spirit, WYSIWYG adventure.

The most expensive possession I’ve ever owned was my 2000 Honda Civic. I prepared many lattes, rang up quite a few pastries, and mopped up my share of spilled coffee to save up for my set of silver wheels. My car was more than just a vehicle; it was freedom, escape, protection, privacy, and maturity. It had become a refuge for me. When I felt constricted in any environment or just wanted to find adventure, I’d grab my keys and go. Have you ever driven down your favorite highway fast enough to feel like you’re flying? I used to love driving up highway 280, blasting my favorite worship song, shouting to the Lord at the top of my voice. I spent hours with ‘Papa God’ in prayer, worship, and sometimes, peaceful silence in that car. In it, I received both simple and profound truths from God.

There was, however, another side of my life that unfolded in my silver chariot. I spent quite a few hours on my cell- phone venting to my friends about situations or people while chain-smoking cigarettes. I had mastered driving a stick shift, talking on my cell phone, and smoking all at the same time. This was a part of my old life that had to die and I know God wanted me to leave all of the old behind to step into the new. Even though I had pretty much laid those things to rest over a year ago, God still wanted me to start fresh and bless a friend with a good car at the same time. I’ll never forget how a tear rolled down her face when she realized it was really happening…God was really blessing her with a car, no strings attached, just because He loves her!

My last drive in my car was one of the most powerful prayer times I’ve ever had. As tears streamed down my face, the Holy Spirit moved me to wipe my tears all over the interior of the car. Sobbing loudly, I started with the steering wheel, then the dash, ceiling and finally the seats. As I did this, the Lord began to speak to me about how I was going to get blessed with more than just a car in return because of what the Honda had meant to me. He began to show me, in my mind’s eye, pictures of blessings I’ve been waiting years for and how this one act was causing a dam to break open, releasing those promised blessings.

God lead me to WYSIWYG and the Voice of Pentecost Church at the end of October. He’d already told me five months earlier to give my car away but I didn’t find the courage to do it until I saw that everyone at WYSIWYG gives radically this way. It has been a wild adventure, being a part of a company that only does what the Father tells them to do. I have the privilege to provide childcare, help in the kitchen, and with cleaning the church. Spending time with the children has helped awaken the child in me again while teaching me how to discipline in love. I have perfect, shalom peace and the joy of my youth back, thanks to obedience and my amazing God!

Sarah Mattioli is a new intern with Christian WYSIWYG Filmworks and is now working in childcare.

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Tags: accelerated, adventure, away, giving, honda, mattioli, sarah