Routine maintenance...

Yes, this picture is a car through the roof of a house...apparently they hadn't kept up with their routine maintenance and went off the road which was on a bank over some homes....and they 'dropped by' for a visit!

What exactly is routine maintenance? In the states, at least in Ct, where i hail from it means changing the oil, buying new tires occasionally and flushing the radiator.

Here in Moz. due to the high temperatures, bad roads and unusually heavy loads at times, it means all the above at increased intervals for double the price, AND replacing bearings, joints, radiators completely, inner and outer hub seals, not one battery--but two (because somebody thought your big truck needed two batteries)...and the sorting out of 'issues' BEFORE they find you out in the bush 100 miles from anywhere (or 10 miles from a mechanic--which can be the same dreadful feeling!).

So as i have been struggling through truck 'issues' and trying to get the 'maintenance' done on the truck before Nov. when we have some bush trips and then in Dec. head off to Malawi for our family break...i have been thinking about maintenance of my soul.

What is required to keep me functioning well, healthy and what is it that will enable me to withstand 'high temps', 'bad roads' and 'unusually heavy loads'? I am sure we could find volumes written on the subject of spiritual health and fervor but i am going to give the keys to MY spiritual fervor. Pretty simple really.

1. Keep my focus on Christ. Or in the words of Raggamuffin Gospel guy, "tell yourself the story daily", When i forget of how much in need i am, when i begin to compare myself to others or simply loose focus i fail miserably...kind of like a 4x4 truck with bad universal joints--things just don't work quite right, and although you can drive for quite a while, when you need to avoid that ditch (or temptation), you can't!

2. Kill the killers. We all know we should change the oil in our cars every couple thousand miles. Why, because it prolongs the life of the car....or the other way around, it helps the car live better and longer. So what if i only change half the oil? Or what if i only fix half the bad wheel bearings, is it really going to help? Nope, nada. The killer is still there. Our vehicle will die a quicker death...or will sputter along for years. Personally i do not feel like sputtering along, ask Cami, i like cruising at a good clip! Funny the little things that kill us are seemingly harmless. We need to trust the manual and do what it says!

3. Don't fall for the lie that you are alone. We are only alone if we want to be. Jesus was pretty clear about unity and fellowship be integral in our lives. Without them we are in danger. Like traveling an uncharted road without a map or guide---what is going to happen? If we are lucky we get out alive....

So, take it from me...do the maintenance, saves you money in the long run on your car and saves you endless headaches (or worse) spiritually! (you may have to get dirty...)

'n peace,
Kevin