It seems there are days I can’t win for losing and I know everyone has experienced that same feeling. A few weeks back I discovered a leaking fuel pressure regulator on my vans’ engine and replaced it. The recovery of performance and substantial increase in fuel mileage was immediately noticed. But, to my dismay, I noticed that starting the engine was becoming labored. I rationalized the gas I had just purchased was maybe somewhat bad, but I knew better. The problem increasingly got worse and I guessed that the new part was defective. After consulting with some auto mechanic friends, and a pressure gage, I concurred that perhaps the fuel pump was leaking and not maintaining proper pressure. At 168,000 miles it was probably a good diagnosis and I had the pump changed, if for no other reason but preventative maintenance. Well, the new pump did increase the operating pressure but didn’t cure the starting problem. I returned to my original thought of a defective pressure regulator. I removed it and sure enough, it was leaking internally. I took it back to the auto parts store and got a replacement. While standing on my head installing the new, new part, I just couldn’t seem to get one of the fittings to connect properly. Well, I completely removed the part, again, to discover it had been manufactured improperly. Back to the store, only to find out they had no more valves in stock. I got my money back and went to another store, got a valve, and installed it without too much trouble. Problem solved? YES!
A mechanic was working on the engine of a car when he spotted a well known local heart surgeon standing off to the side of his shop. The mechanic shouted across the garage, “Hello, doctor! Please come over here for a minute.” The surgeon walked over. The mechanic straightened up, wiped his hands on a rag and said, “So doctor, look at this. I also open hearts, take vales out, grind ‘em and put in new parts. So, how come you get the big bucks when we’re both doing basically the same work?” The surgeon simply asked, “Have you ever tried doing this with the engine running?”
[Romans 7: 14-25; Revelation 3] Many years ago in a textile factory there was a sign on the wall which read: “If your threads get tangled, send for the foreman.” One woman, who was fairly new and a diligent worker, found her threads tangled one day. She tried to disentangle them, but her efforts only made matters worse. Finally she gave up and called the foreman. He came and looked for a few moments and then asked, “You’ve been trying to untangle them yourself, haven’t you?” “Yes”, she replied. “Why didn’t you send for me according to the instructions?” She shrugged her shoulders and said, “I did my best.” With much tact, yet, with great insight, he quietly said, “Remember, doing your best is sending for me.” How often in life have we tried to straighten out our own messes, only to make things worse and look at them as unsolvable. We think that a little more human effort, a bit more human wisdom and a touch of human integrity are the solution. In general, we tend to make the same mistakes over and over again. Bad habits remain in place and errors are repeated. We tend to rationalize our situations and confess, “I did my best.” Then God gently, yet firmly, reminds us: “Doing your best is calling for me.” The message from Jesus is that we must overcome our sinful nature and be obedient to His word and the will of our heavenly Father. Thanks be to God - Jesus will rescue me from this body of death!
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