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Automatic or Manual

Today I got the pleasure of driving Amy’s new car.  I had to take it to the garage for some routine maintenance.  One of the cool things about this vehicle ( which may be standard on all vehicles now!), is that although it’s an automatic transmission, you can put it in a full manual mode.  Yeah, instead of having L1 and L2, it has an M on the drive shaft.  And when you put it in M, you can control the shifting yourself.

So on the way in today, I decided to place it in M and see how well I could do.  Well, it’s a wonder I did not have to have some transmission work done by the time I got to the garage!!!  Ok, not really, I did fine, but I could tell you this, I don’t usually drive a manual transmission, and both I felt totally out of control, instead of totally in control as I guess you are supposed to feel with a manual transmission. 

Of course, this made my mind wander right over to a half-baked analogy.  I immediately thought about how we want so bad to be in control of our lives so much that we shift it right on down to M and have at it.  Only to realize that we really don’t know what we are doing and end up tearing stuff up.  Life can be so much better when we set the transmission on automatic, and let the spirit handling the shifting for us.

Yes, I know, this is really close to the whole “Jesus Take the Wheel” thing, and the analogy, if taking too far, can really start to break down.  It’s not perfect, but hang with me and get the point!  And that point today is that when we run are lives completely on manual, we usually end up making some bad decisions on when to shift and those decisions usually have unintended consequences.

14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. Romans 8:14 NIV

Who is doing the shifting for you today?

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Daily Post

The Importance of Keys

I know it’s a Monday.  Not only is it a Monday, but it’s a Monday with a full moon.  How do I know this you say.  Well, let me recount the ways.

After a surprisingly non eventful start to the day, Amy and the boys went off to work.  Following suit, I prepared my self for a day at the ol’ milestone, feed the cats, loading my bags for the post-work activities into my truck and reached in my pocket for my keys.

Except  they were not there.  Nor were they on the nightstand, of the kitchen counter, or my desk.  no, they were in Amy’s purse – that was in Amy’s classroom at Amy’s school.

Not only that, but remember last week when I had no power ( yes Ben, I had no POWER!!!, and it went out again last night!!!! – I think I have moved to a third world country).  Anyway,  remember last week, when I had no power, and no laptop.  You do!  great, because the laptop problem has returned.

So, here I sit, at home, with a laptop complaining about a hard drive it can’t read, and two , count them two cars in the garage which I cannot start, because I have no keys.

Well, actually, I do have one key – I have a key to the car Amy drove to work today.

Oh, it’s Monday!!!

So, what does this have to do about anything, apart from my complaining?  Well, I think it shows how important something foundational or something essential is to the whole works.  Without  a key those vehicles are just big hunks of steel.  Although they are completely functional, they are missing the one element that keeps them going.  It sort of reminds me of these words from John 15:5, which we will put in Red letters

   5I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5New International Version (NIV)

The Christ himself says that he is really the key to you running properly, otherwise, you are just sitting in the garage!

Also I think this is gentle reminder about how to handle something we all deal with everyday – anxiety.  In the end, this whole deal this morning is actually a small thing.  I do have a 11ish appointment that I should be present in the office for, and I do need to get this laptop fixed, which again requires heading to the office, but in the end, being anxious and worrying will not help at all.

 22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? Luke 12 NIV

 

So, Stay Calm and keep hold of the Key!