Chaplain's Prayer

 

  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30 New International Version

 

Where were YOU ten years ago on that Sunday of February 18, 2001??  Where were you when you heard “the” news of the death of Dale Earnhardt?  I know EXACTLY where Belinda and I were.  We were coming back from taking the transaxle out of our 67 VW Beetle to Johnson City, Tennessee.  Steve Rutledge was going to repair the broken ring and pinion that I broke at Darlington Dragway two years earlier . . . FINALLY going to get the bug back and racing!! (Or so we thought, ten years later “Herbie” is back with his original owner STILL not back together . . . but that’s another story!!).  We had listened to most of the race on the radio and were now on the way back home and we stopped at a Burger King “somewhere” in Tennessee for supper.  The manager on duty told us Dale Earnhardt had died.  NOT Dale . . . Not the “Intimidator”.  I was never a Earnhardt fan but had deep respect for his ability.

 

I just watched a Speed TV special on the 10th anniversary of the day we lost Dale Earnhardt. . . is it REALLY February 18, 2011 . . . TEN years later?  Hard to believe.  A lot has happened the last ten years.  For that matter a lot has also happened in the past sixteen years that Belinda and I have been racing Volkswagens and traveling up and down the Southeastern US doing chapel services at the events?? We soon will begin the 2011 season at Silver Dollar Showdown #10 in less than a month.  We will be showing up with the FIRST paint job “Hugo” has had since we began racing in 1996.  Way overdue!  We also begin a new season as we do every season . . . with excitement, anticipation and a hope for a great year.  Most of all we hope that each person has  a great 2011 on the track but more importantly has a WONDERFUL 2011 with family, friends and hopefully in a relationship with Jesus Christ.  Jesus will take all of your burdens, troubles and any problem you may have and give you the strength to get through it.  I look forward to seeing everybody next month and everybody will be in our prayers.

Rick and Belinda Laws

Second Chances Racing ministry (secondchancesvw@hotmail.com)