Check Engine Soon
I slid behind the wheel of my old SUV and and placed my coffee in the holder, ignoring the slight hand tremors that told me how tired I really was.
I’d wrestled with God in the night watches…again.
It seemed that every part of my life reeked of defeat and hopelessness…and the wrestling at least made me me feel like I could do something to fix it.
Now, it was time for work, time to put on the public face of a professional.
I backed out of the driveway and it came on.
Emotionally, it was like the sun exploding in my face, but in the truck it was a little yellow light.
“Check Engine Soon”.
I lost it.
I depend on my vehicle to get to work, to transport Trey and all the other things we depend on cars for.
I have zero mechanical aptitude.
I repeat…I lost it.
In the night watches I had just finished informing the Lord how broke we were and how stressed I was and how I was getting too old to handle this much stress…and this was my reply?
It wasn’t the end of the world but it was close enough for me to get my robe on…
Driving home that night in the glow of the yellow light, I remembered Jimmy Swaggart telling a story about how his old car would break down and he would lay hands on it and heal it.
I laughed wondering if he needed it to run to visit a red light district…you can’t pick up a hooker on a bicycle.
The levity soon passed and in desperation I prayed.
The next morning the light was off.
With typical fallen wisdom, I got angry.
You answer this one, and the big ones are still sitting there?
My sanity returned and brought gratitude.
Do not despise the day of small beginnings.
Inside the small answers is the promise of better things to come, now and forever.
The lights still off.
Now, if He’ll help me find my keys…
🙂 Have a better day.
As I mused the issue of ‘unanswered prayers’, I remembered that my Christian heroes are Elizabeth Elliot, Corrie ten Boom and Joni Erikson Tada……and I just shut up and had a praise a thon.
love you!
How do you do that?? I went from tears to laughter all in one post!
Good reminder for things in my life too..big things always start from small beginnings..
“My sanity returned and brought gratitude.”
Isn’t that the truth! When we start to see our circumstances in the light of God’s almighty love, then we come to our senses and run with gratitude back to the Father’s waiting arms.
i know the post isn’t about “check engine” light, but an online search is quite helpful on this … doesn’t always mean money, even a loose gas cap can trigger the warning light evidently
FWIW – Elizabeth, Corrie and Joni are wonderful data points for all of us to be encouraged thu trials and, yet, each one models a slightly different kind of pain and dispair
unity is not uniformity…
I really messed up. Please delete 11:20 entry.
I do appreciate your message here, but on a practical level, I would check my oil and gas cap. Perhaps there is someone in your church who has the device that can read engine codes and pinpoint the reason your light did come on. A little maintenance can prevent a big problem from happening down the road.
Hope your day goes better………..
I find the easiest way to deal with the “Check Engine” light is to take a small hammer and bash it so you don’t have to see it.
🙂
Lute,
I’ve found a small piece of masking tape to be simpler. 😉
Michael,
well-written & thought-provoking. Thanks.
Webster’s definition of a parable:
Parable : example; specifically : a usually short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle
I thought that I would provide this definition to post #’s 4-6 just in case they thought that Michaels post has anything to do with “engine lights”.
covered, #4 begins: “i know the post isn’t about “check engine” light, ” 😯
So glad this website is a testament that satan is alive and well by attacking the church from the “inside”. It displays the hypocracy of christians by saying some churches are after money while this site displays “Donate Now” button. This is so awesome.
@11 …?!?
?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
ohmigosh! i never noticed that button – now i will feel guilty every time i come by here 😯
however, isn’t the fact that it is so unnoticeable by all but the web police a pretty good indication that it is not the focus of the site? … or even promoted in any way? … Michael has been starving for years – would who-who care to perhaps help him learn how to go after the money?
just sayin – cuz i can and i’m in a state of annoyance at people who peek and poke and prod with no intention of buying … buying my house that is, they’re coming at the rate of two every 3 or 4 days since Dec 26th! and i’m sitting waiting for another one … since most folks leave their houses empty during the day, i guess i understand why agents put one on their tour list for the heck of it, but mindless people scare me …
Somebody ought to check “who”‘s engine light!!
Just when you thought it was safe to jump back in….
Who,
You are entitled to express your opinion everywhere but the prayer thread. I moderated your little screed there.
You may repost it here if you choose.
I hope it was as well-informed as the post we already have 🙂
I like the word “screed”
Baptists don’t believe in creeds, just screeds.
Ha! I grew up Baptist, I know that to be true.
In fact, my life lit up when I read this post today.
I had THE EXACT SAME SITUATION two weeks ago.
I have no son that depends on me, but I’m just as broke as you.
My check engine light turned off by itself too, and I thanked the Lord.
I didn’t ask God about the other prayers, because I generally don’t ask God to help other people-only myself.
Just kidding.
Like I said….coincidence? I think not.
Webster’s definition of “screed”
1 a : a lengthy discourse
b : an informal piece of writing (as a personal letter)
c : a ranting piece of writing
2 : a strip (as of a plaster of the thickness planned for the coat) laid on as a guide
3 : a leveling device drawn over freshly poured concrete
Examples
In her screed against the recording industry, she blamed her producer for ruining her career.
Origin: Middle English screde fragment, alteration of Old English scrēade — more at shred.
First use: circa 1789
Please forgive me I am being sarcastic. I love that word, screed…
Please, no jokes about the “Apostles’ Screed”. 🙂
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into Hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen.
What beautiful words.
#15 – if i’ve offended today, that isn’t good … grace is a beautiful and not fully understood gift … neither is banter fully understood … or appropriate on the Phxp perhaps?
Who’$_who
$orry you’re $o $en$itive about finance$ that the only thing on the entire blog you noticed wa$ a donate icon. Don’t let me hold you up from your oxen muzzling…
‘So glad this website is a testament that satan is alive and well by attacking the church from the “inside”. It displays the hypocracy of christians by saying some churches are after money while this site displays “Donate Now” button. This is so awesome.’
Wow.
Simple thoughts from a simple mind.
Yes, Michael is after money because some banners are displayed on his site. That equates to what? Oh, wait..nothing.
And yes, Satan runs the church because Michael has banners running across his website.
I guess when you see the smallest detail in black and white, every little thing is so crystal clear. Obviates the need to think and see nuance, I guess.
You might be taken seriously if you knew how to spell.
Which reminds me —
Is hypocracy a fake form of democracy?
PP Vet,
Glad you posted the Apostles Screed — I mean Creed. 🙂
In my limited study of church history, I discovered that there’s quite a heft of theological meat behind each little phrase in that Creed.
And lest you Baptists think you can get away with not having a Creed or confession of faith.
What about this one, from 1689?
http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/creeds/bcof.htm
LOL. Leave it to the Baptists to cover every “jot and tittle”!
-vague Believer
can i share this? it was sent to me today …
sometimes it’s easier said than done and sometimes it’s easier done than said and sometimes it just isn’t easy in any way, shape or rationale … but God, Thy kingdom come, … we’re waiting and holding the ground as best we can, eh?
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=W5mbldTkruM&feature=share%20;
God keep all the precious fools here on the Phxp – everyone is trying so very hard – IMHO
post script to my #30 … ever since i read Paige’s #1 this morning i’ve been thinking about these people who are heroic … and the one thing that they have in common is back-up … with the possible exception of Corrie ten Boom’s years in the concentration camp … i know there are folks who are not loved or affirmed in their trials – i pray, may our Father’s unfailing love be real and His presence known – in His Word and sometimes in just knowing … feeling it
“I have zero mechanical aptitude,” Well, Michael, there’s another thing we have in common.
Most Autozone’s, NAPA and other part’s places will read the code for free. I find them useful before I take a vehicle into the shop. Gives me a chance to see what’s going on and find out if the mechanic is pulling a fast one.
Haha. Kind of nice to see a little honest levity on the PxP. Gotta laugh at outselves once in a while. Breath a little
Ourselves…sheesh….for me some things never change. Typos are my engine light if you know what I mean
This is sort of off topic, Michael I understand you work in the consumer electronics business at the retail end of this market. I was wondering your experience at training new staff, staff turn around, experience in on-sight training I E the effect of high staff turn over and training time to bring new staff up to speak. I was meeting with some VC folks looking at pitching an scaleable cloud based LMS for staff retraining an eLearning. I am at the angel funding stage of the idea just looking at feasibility. Any thoughts, thanks.