Friday, April 26, 2013
Two Flats Later
Well, this
week began with two flat tires. Seriously. Last Sunday, Gina was
following me to lunch after church, when I heard a pop and my car started to
pull hard to the left. I crawled into the Lowe's parking lot and...sure
enough, blown driver's side front tire. And no, I did not get upset,
freak out or go into any hysterics. Really! (If you don't believe me,
just ask Gina!) I use this illustration way too much in my preaching to
over-react to it. You know, it usually gets inserted into the category of
"when things don't go as planned," or "when bad things suddenly
happen." Anyways, changed the flat (and no, Gina did not help, but
provided wonderful moral support - "Are you sure you know what you're
doing?") and saw that it wasn't punctured, but it was actually a blowout
on the upper inside wall of the tire.
On Monday
afternoon, I was taking Gina's car to run an errand and I noticed that the steering
wheel wasn't responding well. At the stop sign at the bottom of the hill
from our house, I stopped to check the tires and...yep, it was another
flat. I hobbled the car back up the hill and when I parked it in the
driveway, I saw that this one had a large screw imbedded in it. I asked Gina if
she had noticed the tire was low and she just indicated that it was driving
"kinda funny." Changing this tire was no fun at all. It's
an older car and the donut spare was pitiful. Once again, Gina provided
great moral support - "You got this!" No kidding. By
myself! Again. She just smiled that sweet smile and went back into
the house.
Two! Two flats in two days! What's the lesson in this? As I labored over the second tire, I asked God, "What's the message here? You know, there are easier and cheaper and less time consuming ways to get my attention!" It was quiet. So, muttering under my breath (I know, HE heard me), I finished the tire change and waited for some explanation from the One who oversees every detail of my life.
The insight didn't come quick. In fact, it wasn't until the next night that I remembered that on Saturday, Gina and I had gone to Louisville (about 45 minutes away). We traveled at a pretty good clip on I-65 to get there. If I had the blowout doing 70-75 miles an hour, things may have been much worse. I thanked the Lord for His timing.
But that wasn't all that the Lord wanted to communicate. Remember when I told Him that there were "easier ways to get my attention"? Well, that wasn't exactly true. Most people that know me would tell you that I am a pretty active person. I admit that I have a hard time sitting still. Gina would also include that I have ADD. I don't know what she's talk...Hey! Check out that play on Sportscenter! Getting my full attention can be a challenge. And God wanted my full attention.
Two flats later, we had a talk. Actually, He talked and I listened. I can't tell you all that He spoke to me, but there was a challenge in it and a lot of reassurance. We didn't talk about automobile maintenance or better tire care. God needed to talk to me about better life maintenance and soul care. And that was just what I needed in the midst of the stress that I have felt over the past couple of months.
I've been running at a pretty good clip lately and burning out for Jesus just isn't the kind of life that He has called me to. God doesn't want me to experience a physical, emotional or spiritual blowout doing a hundred miles an hour in the pursuit of His work. So God just had to get my attention...the hard way.
Two! Two flats in two days! What's the lesson in this? As I labored over the second tire, I asked God, "What's the message here? You know, there are easier and cheaper and less time consuming ways to get my attention!" It was quiet. So, muttering under my breath (I know, HE heard me), I finished the tire change and waited for some explanation from the One who oversees every detail of my life.
The insight didn't come quick. In fact, it wasn't until the next night that I remembered that on Saturday, Gina and I had gone to Louisville (about 45 minutes away). We traveled at a pretty good clip on I-65 to get there. If I had the blowout doing 70-75 miles an hour, things may have been much worse. I thanked the Lord for His timing.
But that wasn't all that the Lord wanted to communicate. Remember when I told Him that there were "easier ways to get my attention"? Well, that wasn't exactly true. Most people that know me would tell you that I am a pretty active person. I admit that I have a hard time sitting still. Gina would also include that I have ADD. I don't know what she's talk...Hey! Check out that play on Sportscenter! Getting my full attention can be a challenge. And God wanted my full attention.
Two flats later, we had a talk. Actually, He talked and I listened. I can't tell you all that He spoke to me, but there was a challenge in it and a lot of reassurance. We didn't talk about automobile maintenance or better tire care. God needed to talk to me about better life maintenance and soul care. And that was just what I needed in the midst of the stress that I have felt over the past couple of months.
I've been running at a pretty good clip lately and burning out for Jesus just isn't the kind of life that He has called me to. God doesn't want me to experience a physical, emotional or spiritual blowout doing a hundred miles an hour in the pursuit of His work. So God just had to get my attention...the hard way.
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