As anyone who has owned a car knows, routine maintenance is involved. A task once done at home, the oil change has become a pop in and out service that can be done quickly and efficiently for little more in cost than purchasing the tools and supplies needed to do the job at home, not to mention the half day needed to complete it and the frustration usually confronted before finishing. It seems that I am getting my oil changed every month or so with the miles that I drive on a daily basis. I go to one of those shops where you drive in through one garage door, and out through another and the whole thing takes about 15 minutes. There are several things that I love about the fast lube process, no appointment needed, no wait typically, the people that work there are friendly, they vacuum my car, it isn’t expensive, I feel confident to do this on my own, and it really is very fast. There is one thing that I greatly dislike about the whole process, the pit.
You see, there is a person standing in a pit under the floor. There are two lines that are basically showing you where to line up as you make your car straddle the open pit and then the service tech reaches up from underneath to remove the oil filter and drain the used oil. As you drive into the garage bay, there is a technician standing where the front of your car needs to stop. He is looking at the driver as soon as the garage door opens and he is motioning to come straight ahead, or which way to turn the wheels to straighten the car and position it properly.
I talk to myself all the way to the shop, coaxing myself that it will all go well and that there is nothing to be afraid of, it is really simple and requires nothing from me, but to watch the tech in the front and do what he tells me to do, put the car in park and turn off the engine. However, what I do, every time, is PANIC! I am scared to death that somehow, even though I think it would take a miracle to do so, I am going to run my car into the pit. I try with all my might to see the pit as it is slowly becoming hidden by my car instead of keeping my focus on the tech who can clearly see the pit and instruct me on avoiding it.
I don’t know if you have ever had a similar experience at the fast lube, but I am hoping that someone out there understands and can relate to me on this, otherwise it is just a sad situation with an overly anxious panic-stricken person who has nightmares about the Pit!
When I think of this and experience it, it isn’t a far stretch at all to be reminded of Peter when Jesus instructed him to walk on the water. We see the short, but powerful scene unfold in Matthew 14: 27-30.
But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
“Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” (NIV)
As a child, when I first heard this story, I thought- well… I thought come on Peter, I mean how hard is it? It’s Jesus, after all- and all you need to do is look at Him! It seems so easy when we think about it as we sit in our own safety and comfort and imagine the scene, but what happens when we are in the midst of a storm of our own?
I mean- it’s still Jesus and I really do just need to look at Him… but I can’t even seem to trust the guy standing 8 feet in front of me who can see my car and the pit and is telling me where to park.
A reminder for us all is found in Proverbs 4 where Solomon encourages us to “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.” V.24 (NIV)
When we fix our eyes on God, we continue to build our relationship with God and our personal faith walk. We can do this by having a regular time of Bible reading and prayer, by reading and listening to material that builds us up. We can also adopt the mindset of stopping and asking ourselves if what we are thinking, doing, watching, participating in and the people that we are spending time with something that lifts up God and keeps us on track.
So it shouldn’t take much for us to step out, should it? But, if pulling into a space to have my oil changed sends me into a panic, I must not be trusting the person guiding me too much, right? Trust is so important and clearly something that I need to work on, because even though I know that God knows best and that He can see the desired place of destination from where He is, all too often, I think that I know the best steps to take on my own, and my focus is on me instead of Him.
You know something else that ironically works in both situations, of the fast lube and life in general? The less trust that I put in the one directing me… the longer it takes to get where I am going. The more direction I have to learn to follow, and the more opportunities there are to panic and lose my focus.
God knew that we would have this issue and there are several mentions in both the Old and New Testaments instructing and reminding us where to look and give attention. While searching the scriptures as I planned for this blog post, this verse that is worded simply but with a big impact really stuck with me.
Those who understand look to wisdom for guidance,
but fools fasten their eyes on some distant horizon. Proverbs 17:24 (VOICE)
Lord, I come to You now and fully admit that I can sometimes have a trust issue when it comes to trying to make my own plans instead of allowing you to direct me. I ask for Your forgiveness in this area and pray that You will help me to remember to look to You in my moments of panic instead of worrying about what I can do to control the situation. Lord, You know the outcome and the steps needed to get there. Thank you for caring for me and aiming me to a destination that You have created me to realize.
Praying that fear is not keeping you from getting an oil change or any other necessary tasks in life, but that you are able to look to God and trust that He has the best target for you and His aim is perfect in getting you there!