It is for me. It is definitely going much better than last Friday.
You see, last Friday started great. But somewhere toward the end of the day it took a less than wonderful turn. Twenty miles from home, waiting for my son on his college campus and – the car died.
It had been operating fine all day. But, that did not matter. I put the key in the ignition, like always. I turned the key, like always. And it did not start!
Immediately, I thought it must be the starter and tried to figure how I was going to get the van started and myself and my sons home.
I had just enough battery life on my cell phone to make one call. I sat for over an hour waiting for the tow truck. I waited another twenty minutes for someone to come pick me up.
I found out the next day that it was not the starter (Thank God). It was the battery! However, the cost of that battery was compounded by the cost of the tow.
Everything warns me when the battery gets low: my phone, my iPod, my camcorder -
Everything except my car!
No warning, no indication, just died ...
Actually, there might have been warning signs that I missed. After reading some, it appears that some of the more notable signs that your battery is dying include: Slow starts (which may require multiple attempts), dim headlights and problems with the instrument panel. It would have been good for me to know those things before I ended up stuck.
As usual, there was a spiritual truth that was being reinforced through my situations and circumstances. You see, spiritually we probably need to watch for some of those same indicators that our battery might need charging (or a complete overhaul):
Are you starting slow? Does it take multiple attempts to get going? Do you feel like you have to be ‘jump started’ to worship at church? Are you finding mornings difficult – hard to ‘start your days with praise’? Is it challenging to focus during your personal time with God? If so, it might be an indication that your battery might be getting low.
Have your lights dimmed? Are you noticing a resurgence of some heart attitude issues that you haven’t seen in a while? Do you find yourself complaining more than thanking? Are people commenting that you just don’t seem yourself? It could be time for a re-charge.
Are there other indicators sounding off – ones personal to you – which are screaming that something is headed for failure? Pay attention! It will often cost so much more personally if we ignore or miss the signs than what it would have cost if we heeded them.
Bad enough to get stranded physically –
But, let's avoid being stranded spiritually if we can.
Isaiah 40:31
‘… those who trust in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary …’
[or get stuck!]
Have a Wonderful Weekend! J
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