Preventative Maintenance

"be armed, ready to go"

Numbers 32:17

I ran out of gas in my car once.

But only once.  Because when my father arrived to bail me out, he said, "There is no excuse for running out of gas."

He wasn't mad. {Although he was probably justifiably irritated at the inconvenience of having to come rescue me!}  So it wasn't an anger-fueled comment, he was simply stating a fact.   There is no excuse.  Gas stations are everywhere, and you have a gauge to tell you when you are low.

It was a lesson that stuck with me.  Obviously, since it was ± 25 years ago, and I still remember it.  I think about when my gas tank gets low, which is probably what my father had in mind.

But I also thought about it recently, when I had a full tank of gas.  It was on the same day that I had the oil changed in my car.   And when I have my oil changed, they also do all those other checks, air filters or other fluids or whatever.  And they rotate and align the tires.

I drove home that day feeling equipped; ready for anything.  I could go anywhere and do anything I needed to for my family without any worry about my equipment.   I had full confidence in my car.

I mean, I know I was still vulnerable to a surprise flat, or unforeseen engine trouble.  But I had done everything I could to be prepared.  That's all we can do.

And that's what we should do.   Know in advance what the possible problems might be, and take steps to head them off.  When my kids were little, I used to remind them, when they were going into a difficult situation, that they needed a weapon.  And based on Ephesians 6:17, our weapon is the word of God.  So I would tell them to have a verse in mind that would strengthen them.  To be ready.

Ready for anything

There's so much that is unpredictable in life.  All the more reason to prepare in whatever way we can.

~ "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God...

that the man of God may be complete,

thoroughly equipped for every good work." ~

2 Timothy 3:16,17

~