Engine Light On

They are there to warn us. They are supposed to prompt us to action to fix the little things before they get to be bigger things. But do we really pay attention?

Last week, I mentioned things were breaking all around me. (See that post here but make sure to come back to finish this one.) So, today I have taken my car in to have it looked at. Those pesky engine lights haven’t gone away. Normally, I feel quite at home with an engine light on … almost comfortable. I don’t ignore it too much, not like Penny from the Big Bang Theory.

Sheldon: If you recall, I pointed out the “check engine” light to you several months ago.

Penny: Well the “check engine” light is fine. It’s still blinking away. It’s the stupid engine that stopped working. It cost me like twelve hundred dollars to fix it.

But I am more like Penny then Sheldon here. I am not sure why, I just am.

When it comes to our lives, we take things a bit more “come as it may.” But this weekend, I will be loaning the car to someone … so I want to make sure it’s okay. We often pay more attention to others than we do to ourselves. This can be positive … selflessness, putting others first, being the encourager and looking for the best in others.

But it can be negative too … seeing flaws in others, meddling in others business, or simply not taking care of issues we have in our own life – but quickly pointing them out in others (bad habits, weight, etc.)

A check engine light is a good thing. Think about if we had one for life for relationships … it could prevent broken friendships, keep marriages healthier, or even stop us from straying out of our lane. What is we had the early braking system in our lives that would stop us from doing something stupid while we aren’t paying attention. Auto warning and safety systems would be great in life and in relationships. But alas, we don’t have them.

So what should we do? Put some work into it.

• Regular maintenance … always keep checking everything
• Put good gas in the car … make sure you make a regular effort to keep running smoothly. Personal – eat healthy. Relationships – tell others you appreciate them, show affection, stay in contact
• Rotate the tires … don’t get stuck in a rut, try some variety and keep life changing
• Don’t let it sit too long without moving … exercise (the relationship and yourself)
• Read the manual … okay, I’m talking the Bible here, but also there are some other works that help us understand the manual (wise mechanics that have put their knowledge in print … books on relationships and godly living.)
• Get the extended warranty (okay, here I really mean eternal warranty). So you can know no matter the struggles we have here on earth, and there will be struggles, we have the assurance it will all be made right in heaven.

Just a light hearted analogy that went through my mind … to help me get my worries away from what my car bill will be. Just for fun, but some interesting thought.