FORD Tough--Part 1 Finding the Problem

My brother recently told me that Ford stood for "Fix or repair daily." This is in reference to my pickup's last two issues (for my further whining, please click here and here). I'm starting to wonder if he's correct. On Facebook, I even posted this idea of Ford meaning "fix or repair daily" and I had a lot of Ford-haters comment on it (yeah, you know who you are!)Now, I'm not a Ford-hater. In fact, I don't pick one type of pick-up over the other at all. But I at least want a working one.

Now, this got me to thinking. This being a blog called Spiritual Musclehead and all, I wanted to dive a bit deeper into this. In order to fix or repair something, you need to know what the problem is in the first place. If you're oil's leaking, just putting more oil in it every other day isn't going to fix the problem, just alleviate the symptoms for a while. You need to find the deeper problem.

What about us? What about us human beings. I think we need to be fixed and repaired daily to tell the truth. I'm not okay. That's for sure. Everyone who knows me knows that as much. And to tell the truth, I really think that we're all not okay in one way or another.

So, you need to be fixed and repaired. Why? I have a one word answer for you but you're not going to like it: Sin. There, I said it. I know. I don't like that word either.

Let me ask you this though: If you're leaking oil something fierce in your engine, would you keep driving it like everything was okay? Or would you want to have it fixed? In fact, if you say that the oil leaking is going to cause an engine problem, that works for you, but I'm fine just pouring more oil in it. Are you deceiving yourself? If you keep doing it, yes, you can go for a while, but eventually the engine will fail (this is from experience--blew out an engine because of this. Huge stinking hole in it too..not pretty)

So, what do we do? Be fixed and repaired daily. Problem: oil leak. Solution: fix it.
Problem: Sin. Solution: Be repaired

Problem and solution:

If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives...But if anyone obeys Jesus’ word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. (1 John 1:7-10, 2:5)

So what does it mean to confess? And confess what?

My Pick up got up and left

I have a pickup. In fact, I have a 1980 custom Ford F-150. It is a downright classic. It is a V-8 361 engine that runs great. I had to have some basic maintenance done on it to keep it up and running. Seals and gaskets get old and cracked over time. It needs routine maintence from time to time to make sure it doesn't break down. A 30 year-old classic like this needs to be...wait...

It occurs to me that my pick up is 30 years old.

I'm 33. Am I a classic? Will my seals and gaskets get all cracked and warped here soon.

So, routine maintenance is good for my 30 year-old pick up, I'm guessing it's good for me. So, let me try to do some maintenance here.

I think I'm doing okay emotionally. No major break downs. ADD meds doing fine. Some frustrations from time to time (with a 5 year-old and a 2 year-old, I'm guessing it's okay to have some frustrations) but overall I think I'm doing okay.

I think I'm doing okay spiritually. I know that I haven't been journaling as of late like I really want to. I have been trying to regularly be in God's Word (in my line of work, it is essential to regularly be in the Word)And I've been praying a lot lately (again.. a 5 year-old and a 2 year-old..you pray for patience mostly) for my family, friends and most importantly for the church here in Corsica.

Physically on the other hand? Well, my bathroom scale and I have this hate/hate relationship going on. First it didn't give me the results I wanted and then it just started messing with me. I just bought a new one today. Take that bathroom scale, you can be replaced!!

I've always found what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 to be interesting. I've used it to encourage myself to keep on doing maintenance.

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."

Now, my hope is to work on my pick up and keep it going so that it remains not just a classic but in great shape as well...I'm thinking that should be my goal with myself too, to strive on for the prize, to run the race well, to keep on keeping on.. now to just figure out about them blasted gray hairs.