The engine on our eight-year-old Ford Escape skipped. Or maybe it was the transmission. I'm not a car guy, so I don't know for sure.
My little brother is a car dude. David tears engines down in his sleep. When he was in high school, our family's rec room floor was covered with the transmission of a '67 Chevy Nova. David would know what the problem was, but David wasn't here.
The engine straightened itself out, no idiot lights decorated the dashboard, and I continued down the road. I was headed for the Asheville Christian Writers Conference, a state away in the mountains of North Carolina.
Ever since the warranty on our once-new Escape ended, I heard and felt every hiccup the car spit out. When it was under warranty, I didn’t worry about mechanical failures. They weren’t my problem. If something broke, I took it to the dealership. They would make it right again. There was a beautiful peace about that, especially if you weren't really a car guy—like me.
Over the next week, the Escape would need to get me over these mountains, down to the coast, around the state, and hopefully, about the time you’re reading this, back to my family in Tennessee. I had prayed about the car. I had spoken to God about the car. I had spoken over the car in faith. I had declared a moratorium on flat tires, engine hiccups, bored highway patrolmen, and texting teenagers. Still, a part of my brain always listened to the car. And part of my heart longed for the peace I had when the car was new and I didn’t worry.
My problem is that I tend to cling to worry like a security blanket. Actually, I don't have to worry about the car … or anything else. And when I learn to turn worry off and walk in faith, it will be the happiest day of my life. But I'm not there yet.
As Christians, we come with a warranty. We don't have to stress over what life might bring, because we have a Father to whom we can give every headache, heartache, problem, and worry. He wants us to give Him our problems ... if we just will.
What problems are you clinging to that you already have a warranty for?
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
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Kevin Spencer is a freelance writer and professional editor and is privileged to be a staff writer for Christian Devotions. He lives in Middle Tennessee with his beautiful wife Charlotte and his 14-year-old wonderful grandson Caleb. A former prodigal son, Kevin has been blessed beyond measure and lives a life far, far better than he deserves.