There’s glitter and sparkles everywhere. Power tools and saws are running, and paint and decals are being applied liberally. What is going on?
My kids are making pinewood derby cars.
This is one of the things they look forward to all year. This is the weekend they race their five-ounce cars down a wooden track and see where they place against their AWANA friends. If your kids aren’t going to AWANA, you should get them there. It’s the Wednesday night children’s program at church, and around our house, it’s the favorite day of the week.
For the pinewood derby, each child gets the same simple kit: a block of wood, four wheels, and a couple of axles. From that block, they can build anything they want.
Sometimes that’s the hardest part.
Really, how hard could it be to design a car from a block of wood?
Well, when you open yourself up to options like a unicorn, a gumball machine, a fishbowl with a live fish swimming in water, a roller skate, and a violin (yes, those were some of my kids’ actual cars from previous years), it suddenly feels more complicated.
This year they chose simplicity. They’re building actual cars. Although my son’s car, proudly named American Power, features a giant blast of fire shooting out of the exhaust on top. He is fully and ferociously all boy. Today he told me we should bring a lighter along, “just in case we find somewhere to make a fire.”
Tom Sawyer would be proud.
Before any cutting or sanding began, it was research time. They learned about energy, friction, aerodynamics, and weight placement. The only power their little cars get is gravity pulling them down the track. No engine. No batteries. Just gravity. Every small adjustment makes a difference.
It’s surprising what a little change can do.
Move the weight back slightly. Polish the axles. Add graphite. Smooth an edge. A tiny tweak can mean the difference between first place and the middle of the pack.
Since they are responsible for their own cars, they choose how much effort to invest. They can reduce friction and fine-tune performance, or focus on bold paint jobs and flashy accessories. Often they have to decide: what’s more important – speed or style?
On Saturday morning, they stand in line for weigh-in, cars in hand, trying to look confident. Five ounces exactly – or back to the workbench. When their car lines up at the starting gate, you can see the nerves as they call encouragement to each other. The gate drops. One lap tells the story.
And honestly, life isn’t much different.
You have flour, dishes, and work. Toys, homework, and bills. The blender roars. The washing machine thumps. The gurgle and glub of the coffee pot reminds you another lap has begun. These are the everyday glitter, sparkles, power tools, and paint filling up this stretch of the race.
You don’t get to choose your block of wood.
But you do get to choose how you shape it.
Will you put in the effort to reduce friction?
In life, God is your power. “Apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). It is only by His grace and your trust in Him that you are saved from the consequence of your sin. Then we’re told to live intentionally. To remove the “sin that so easily entangles.” “Be very careful how you live – not as unwise but as wise” (Ephesians 5:15).
And it’s surprising what a small change can do.
Leaving your phone on the charger so you can look into your spouse’s eyes. Cutting the cord from constant social media noise and living the life right in front of you. Guarding your thoughts. Choosing right living – not Instagram-perfect, because that’s a fairy tale anyway – but steady, faithful obedience.
You get to choose what enters your house, your heart, and your mind.
The derby race lasts a few seconds.
The race you’re running lasts a lifetime – and into eternity.
And when the finish line comes into view, may you be able to say like Paul, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
So sand the rough edges. Adjust the weight. Reduce the friction. By God’s grace, race to the end!
Meet your farmer – Jonathan Gerdes. He and his wife run a farm-to-table raw milk dairy and farm airbnb in Caledonia, Minn. If he isn’t in the barn, you can find him dating his wife, playing with his kids, leading youth group, or flying in the sky. Visit gerdesfreshfarm.com for more info.
Flying Farmer Farmhouse Rice Pudding
4 cups whole milk (the richer, the better)
¾ cup white rice
⅓ cup sugar
¼ tsp. salt
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. butter
Optional: cinnamon or nutmeg on top
In a heavy saucepan, combine milk, rice, sugar, and salt.
Bring just to a gentle boil, then reduce to low.
Simmer uncovered, stirring often, for 30–40 minutes until thick and creamy.
In a small bowl, beat the egg. Add a few spoonfuls of hot pudding into the egg (to temper), then stir it back into the pot.
Cook 2–3 more minutes until silky.
Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla.
Serve warm. And if you need some fresh milk, you know where to get some!
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