My new car was just over six months old, but one day I noticed the low tire light was on. Unsure of which tire it might be I drove to the tire store and tipped the attendant for refilling all my tires. A little over a month later, the same thing happened again. And back to the service place I went, the man assured me my tires were new and everything was fine. He chalked it up to the bitter cold and changing temperatures. When the light came on a third time, once again I had the service people refill all the tires and the spare—just to be safe.
But I wondered if something was wrong with my car. Some even suggested I had a faulty service light on my dashboard. My yearly inspection rolled around with the car dealership and I pointed out that I had a fussy light on the dashboard or something going on with the tires.
Turns out everyone was wrong. Upon closer inspection this mechanic and serviceman found a bolt and construction nail buried in the tire tread and wall creating a slow leak—in not one, but two tires! “You’ll have to replace the tires, ma’am. We can’t repair this kind of leak,” the mechanic informed me.
As it turned out, the construction around my neighborhood streets had its consequences on my new car. It was an expensive hit to the budget that wasn’t planned for new tires. But I pondered the thought of driving around on leaky tires and wondered if there was a life lesson.
How many of us go through life where we’ve been pierced or wounded to our core in the everyday roadways called life? Just going about our daily routines and trouble strikes. Maybe it’s a betrayal by a friend. Or the shocking announcement that your spouse is leaving you. Or the devastating news of cancer. Or that dreaded phone call that there’s been an accident… We’re pierced through to our hearts.
We can try to gloss over the pain. We can try to escape. We can attempt to numb out or fill ourselves up with the fluff and air of worldly things to try to cope. But sooner or later, we leak out and are barely getting by in life. Instead, we need deep restoration and healing in the inner recesses of our soul. We need full transformation and healing like a brand-new tire or a brand-new heart.
God doesn’t want us barely limping along through life. He said He came to bring us life and that more abundantly. But we have to surrender to the Master Mechanic and let Him transform us and give us new hearts. We have to let go of any hurt, pain, unforgiveness, bitterness and lies the enemy has used to keep us crippled or bound up. It might be a little costly, but it’s worth it. And then there are no more flat tires and limping along through life: soon you’ll be cruising again with joy and abundant life!
Beloved:
Come to Me with your hurt and pain. Come to Me and find rest for your soul. I want to do a deep healing in your heart and soul in all the places you are wounded. I want you to experience the blessings and the abundant life My Son gave His life for you to have. The enemy wants you crippled and barely limping through life. I came that you might have life and that more abundantly.
“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you...” (Ez. 36:26a)
“The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)