Pastor Jean Newell
Two words: Preventative maintenance. Preventative maintenance is not only needed, it’s a must to be prepared for what the future brings!
A few weeks ago, I had an early morning meeting to attend. The alarm went off; I scurried to get ready. I was congratulating myself for having gotten out on time as I crawled into my car and reach over to turn it on. The battery was dead! I had no choice; I called AAA. It wasn’t long before the technician arrived. Although he was able to recharge the battery, he showed me with one of his gauges there wasn’t much life left in the battery. I was now late for my meeting, but I decided I couldn’t chance having the battery die on me again. I reluctantly agreed to have the battery replaced. The preventative maintenance was something I needed to have done so I could have a car on which I could depend.
This morning, a technician with the pest control company that provides regular maintenance for our home and yard paid a visit. The technician showed up on time, checked in with me and then proceeded to attend to his spraying. Once he was finished, he explained to me he had found some ant hills in the backyard, so he had treated them with a compound to get rid of them. He suggested that I wait an hour and a half to let the compound seep into the ground before I let the dog out. Unfortunately, shortly after he left, my daughter’s dog Ember decided she needed to go out. Not understanding why I’m not opening the door, Ember is now whining. Inconvenient though it is, the preventative maintenance needs to be done to help alleviate future problems.
In the midst of the Lenten season, schedules are busy as usual. Even so, have you considered doing some spiritual “preventative maintenance?” The timing may seem inconvenient. After all, spring is here inviting one to “go and do,” whether it’s shopping, visiting friends or playing a round of golf. However, even when things are going well, it’s important to maintain one’s connection with God. One can nurture that connection through prayer, devotional readings and thanking God for the beauty of the world around us. Truly, it is in maintaining our connection with God that we are then able to weather the storms of life that come our way.