Three Hours in the DMV

by Pastor Brad Murphy, Lead Pastor

This past Monday, Lori and I spent three hours with both the babies at the DMV in Boise.  We couldn’t go to Meridian because we need car license plates and driver’s licenses. We drove one of the cars and brought the title to the other one. We expected to make it easily through the checklists for both cars’ license plates and our driver’s licenses. When we arrived, I was excited that the wait time was under a minute. I later learned that after you get started, there will still be lots of waiting. We both made our way to the same licensing window, hoping to stay together and pay together, but our clerk was about to take her lunch break and was only willing to help one of us. I made my way to another window.

We passed our knowledge tests, got our mug shots, paid our fees, and received our temporary paper licenses. Then we headed to the other half of the room to get our license plates. After waiting only a few minutes I headed to the counter with paperwork in hand. After a few questions and some fill in the blanks, I waited again while the clerk put on her warm coat (snapping every button), grabbed her umbrella, and came out from behind the counter to take me outside for a VIN number and odometer inspection. Really? I had all the Washington Paperwork and the loan papers.

Once back inside I had to complete three more forms, all with the same four fill in the blanks and then wait another several minutes to finally get help at the counter again. As the half dozen forms were processed and all the important information entered into the computer I stood waiting at the window. By now both babies were screaming and I was screaming on the inside. I’m so thankful Lori was there to remind me to be patient with them. You never know what kind of a day they’ve been having.

Finally, I walked out with the plates for only one of our cars, because…I’ll have to wait till tomorrow when they can inspect the VIN and odometer of the car we didn’t bring.

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.” Psalm 37:7-9 ESV