© 2018 Lynn Abbott
I stood beside the car and grinned rather sheepishly. “Jose” he said his name was.
But for all I knew, he could have been my guardian angel disguised in an auto mechanic’s coveralls.
As a matter of fact, I thanked God again and again for my mom’s foresight. She had first taken out the AAA policy years ago.
After she died, I adopted the policy although I had never used it.
That is, until now.
I had borrowed my son’s car since he had a full day of
university classes, and wouldn’t need the car during the day.
But unlike my usual vehicle, his car does not have an irritating ping to remind me to turn off the car’s lights before exiting the vehicle.
Yeah. That’s right. The battery had died…
Kaput.
Nothing.
The lights had fully drained the charge. And I was stuck.
I thanked God again and again for my mom’s foresight.
As is usually my good fortune, whenever something goes wrong, my husband is out-of-town. This past week was no exception.
I imagined my son rolling his eyes. He regularly reminds me that I should not attempt to multi-task.
“You just haven’t got the talent for it, Mom,” he gently chides.
And he’s right. I just didn’t want to hear him say it. So, I chose the lesser embarrassment. I called AAA.
I breathed a sigh of relief and contrition as I heard the car turn over. I thanked Jose profusely, and promised to drive the car for more than the minimum half hour.
And right then and there, I knew I would not make full confession to my son. I decided that some things should remain on a “need-to-know-only” basis.
But the sun had not yet set on that day. After picking up my son from class and dropping him home, I ran out to finish my final errands.
I knew I would not make full confession to my son.
With a carload of groceries, I later pulled into our garage which doubles as my husband’s DIY workshop.
Something went clunk. And that never bodes well.
Even with the engine still running, I could hear a loud hissing.
I leaped out of the car just in time to discover one of my husband’s specialty drill bits lodged in my front tire.
Ugh. Another call to AAA in my future? Maybe, I’d just stay home for a while.
Obviously, my son is absolutely correct. Multi-tasking never works out well for me. For me, life in hyper-drive inevitably leads to a crash.
After all, batteries need recharging time. Undoubtedly, I need time for regular maintenance; my life’s “garage” definitely needs clean-up on a regular basis to ensure that there is nothing encumbering me on my journey, (Hebrews 12:1).
That’s right. When I’m consumed with frantic activity and leave my light on continually, my life’s battery drains.
True, I spend daily time in prayer and I read God’s Word. Like clockwork. Time with my Savior has long been a part of my routine.
Nevertheless, I’ll admit that, on occasion, I have been known to approach time with my Savior at a frenetic pace.
Bible reading? Check.
Prayer? Check.
Then, I kick into overdrive.
When such is the case, it isn’t uncommon for me to pick up “encumbrances” along the way. And quite honestly, sometimes I’m so harried that I simply keep “rolling.”
For me, life in hyper-drive inevitably leads to a crash.
Ignore the issue and hope it goes away unfortunately becomes my modus operandi.
Yup, pretty much a bad idea.
The result? My tires go flat. And any number of serious consequences overtake me.
Suffice to say, life on the autobahn takes its toll.
But our Savior teaches a better way…
If anyone ever had a massive ‘to-do’ list and limited time, it was Christ.
Enormous crowds demanded Christ’s time. With such an incredibly vast ministry to fit into three short years, Christ certainly could have justified working ’round the clock.
Yet, He took time away to “recharge,” to sit with His Father. For example, after feeding the five thousand, Jesus sent his disciples to Bethsaida by boat (Mark 6:46) .
Our Savior teaches a better way…
Mark significantly writes, ‘After leaving them, He went up on a mountainside to pray.’
Even as the tasks increased, Christ did not neglect time with His Father.
It seems counter-intuitive, doesn’t it? To set aside quiet time during an extremely busy week runs contrary to human reason.
‘I don’t have time for that today,’ I frequently tell myself.
Yet, in the midst of unceasing activity, human need for God is all the greater.
Jesus, God incarnate, knew this to be true not only for himself but also for us. Just prior to feeding the five thousand, He invited His disciples to ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest,’ (Mark 6:30).
Yes, Abba knows us. He understands that we fray around the edges if we neglect our time with Him.
Perhaps, like me, you’ve been living life on the freeway. How ’bout it?
Let’s make a pact: we’ll begin anew this week and put aside daily “down-time” to “recharge” with our Heavenly Father.
“And immediately He (Jesus) made the disciples get into the boat, and go ahead of Hi to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And after He had sent the multitudes away, He went up to the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening He was there alone, “~ Matthew 14:22-23
“Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need,” ~Hebrews 4:16
“Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, The God who is our salvation,” ~Psalm 68:19
Through Ink & Image 