THE RUSTY $180 NAIL
The car was only 7 months old when the rusty nail got stuck in the side of the tire. The orange warning light grinned at me from the dash. Staring at the flat, I called the dealer and they confirmed my fears – if the nail is in the side, no patch would work. They said I would probably need a new tire, and they just happened to be on sale. With parts, labor, shop supplies, mounted, balanced, valve stem, waste tire management fee, state/federal/local tax, and disposal fee, $180 should cover it.
The car was brand new and had all the gizmos and gadgets no one needs. But, we were going nowhere until the tire with the golden nail had been replaced with the “donut.” Finding the toolkit and spare tire was easy. Jacking up the car went better than expected. Taking off the 5 lug nuts was challenging, but I have a college degree so I figured it out. According to the car manual, and online “Tire Change for Dummies,” the tire should come off..…but it wouldn’t. I shook it and twisted it, but it still wouldn’t budge. Thinking there was another lug nut behind the VW emblem, I tried to pry it off to no avail.
With sweat pouring off my saintly brow, I again called the service advisor at the dealership. He went over all the key steps, and finally said, “Have you kicked it?” Contemporary cars have about 30,000 precision machined components built in ultra-modern plants using amazing technology. Cars are so sophisticated that it takes computer-trained mechanics to adjust the engine and other sensitive parts. It never occurred to me to kick the wheel.
His specific directive was: “Step back, square it up, and give it a swift kick!” As I did this gratifying act, the wheel came loose as promised. There is a lesson here. Some things just need a swift kick!
It’s true for us “big wheels,” too. Sometimes, God provides a sudden jolt to get our attention. A swift kick of reality says, “You are ignoring Me! REFOCUS!” Balaam finally understood when his donkey spoke to him. Jonah got the message in the belly of the fish. The Prodigal came to his senses in the pig pen.
The rich farmer ignored God and built bigger barns (Luke 12). God called him a fool and said, “This night your soul is required of you.” God is calling His people right now to refocus. We must listen to Him, and respond. It is better to answer His call now, before God has to use other means to get our attention. Comments?