I put four new shock absorbers on my car. After 130,000 miles it seemed like the right thing to do. Wow. It rides like a brand new vehicle. As those thousands of miles rolled along little by little, the ride ever so slowly worsened. I didn’t notice. It’s sort of like those pounds around the middle. I saw a small lady carrying around a really big toddler. When I questioned her about it she laughed and said when she started carrying him he only weighed six pounds and five ounces and since she carried him every day she didn’t notice his weight gain. Isn’t it fascinating how things creep up on us? It happens so subtly we don’t notice. Then one day we see a photo of ourselves and go, “Oh, look at me. I’m a tub!”
Could it be the same thing could happen to us if we neglect relationships? We get too busy to call our parents or we get too busy to spend any quality time with God. As the days roll by we don’t notice the change in our attitudes and erosion of character.
Thinking about shock absorbers made me wonder what absorbed the shock in heaven when Adam and Eve, made in God’s image, failed to be faithful and ate of the forbidden tree. There was even more shock when Jesus announced His plan for rescuing Adam and Eve. Heaven must have been appalled when Jesus was born in a filthy animal stall and horrified beyond belief at what happened on Calvary. I seriously doubt there was much of anything that could absorb those shocks.
Perhaps the biggest shock of all is our salvation. Really now. Not one of us deserves it. We are children of grace.
Written by Roger Bothwell on September 17, 2009
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
rogerbothwell.org