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Life certainly has changed over the past 30 years. The pace of life has tremendously increased, and with it the need for instant gratification. What I mean by that is people generally don't want to wait for anything - if you cannot provide it to them NOW, then they will go elsewhere. Apparently the belief is that with enough money, anything can be purchased just the way you want it: pre-packaged, pre-prepared, and with a bow on it.

Although we have fought it, this pre-packaged/pre-prepared attitude has began to infiltrate our home. Just the other day my wife was reading an article in the paper comparing the value of pre-packaged and prepared fruits and vegetables (salad in a bag, etc.). The article compared the cost of the product with the cost to purchase the raw product and prepare it yourself. It was eye-opening to me to see all of the products that you could purchase pre-packaged. It was also eye-opening to me that my wife - who makes most things from scratch - was considering buying some of the products!

This attitude has also hit the pinewood derby business. More and more people are looking for pre-packaged and pre-prepared items. We have tried to accommodate this to some extent by offering Speed Kits which include the necessary tools and supplies to make a fast car. However, the trend goes even further (too far in my opinion) as attested to by the increasing number of people that are selling completed cars on eBay.

Personally, I am of the 'old school'. That is, much of the satisfaction of racing a pinewood derby car is in building the car. There is no pride or fulfillment in using a credit card to buy a pre-made car. Maybe the car will be a champion, but not having built it yourself cheapens the victory.

The Bible gives us an example of a man who wanted instant gratification. In Acts 8:18 we read about a man named Simon who wanted to purchase the power which had been given to Peter and John (the Apostles) by God. Peter sternly rebuked Simon for thinking that he could buy the gift of God with money.

Clearly, the gift of God and a pinewood derby car are not in the same league. But the principle is that Simon wanted to take a short cut, and thought that money would resolve the issue. Here in America many have the same attitude. But as the adage goes, "Money cannot buy happiness". The Bible, which is of course the source of wisdom, provides similar advice. Consider the parable:

And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop.
He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'
"Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.
And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."'
"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'
"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."
Luke 12:16-21 (NIV)

To truly experience fulfillment in life you must first experience God:

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
John 10:10 (NIV).

Then you must experience life itself from a godly perspective. Likewise, if you want to enjoy the pinewood derby experience, then start from the belief that the fun is in the doing, then build the car yourself. When approached with this attitude, the memory of building the car will be the true treasure; any awards that might be won are secondary.

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