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I was the unfortunate recipient of some bad news at my mechanic’s shop last month. He walked me into the bay where my SUV sat cradled on a lift and pointed to something on the suspension, called it something I’ve never heard of, and then told it would cost me something like $400 to repair.
But that wasn’t even the bad news.
As it turns out, my SUV’s front end was out of alignment…and had been for some time. The mechanic patiently explained to me what that meant: my wheels weren’t squarely sitting on the axle, and that meant they weren’t rolling down the road in a straight line.
So that explains the loud whining sound I kept hearing….
Granted, there had been some (other) indications that something was wrong: a slight vibration in the steering wheel, some occasional drifting of the vehicle (that wasn’t related to my bad driving), and an outright shake when the brakes were applied.
Not only would it cost $400 to replace the worn out “ball joints,” but two of my brand new tires were ruined, as well. The tread was almost completely – and unevenly – worn away on the outside of the two front tires. Those puppies run about $150 each! So now, I gotta dig up another 300 bucks. If I’d only dealt with the problem sooner, I’d have saved so much money.
But that’s probably what I deserve for ignoring a problem.
What happens when we go for days without speaking to our spouses after an argument? What is the result of not forgiving a friend who wronged us? What’s the outcome of living with known sin in our lives?
In every instance, it’s going to be expensive. When we wait to repair a broken relationship, more damage is unnecessarily done. The longer we withhold forgiveness, the more costly the brokenness will become. The sin that we unceasingly commit will continue to cost us and those around us.
We can’t ignore telltale signs that something’s wrong. I had a broken vehicle. Now I have a broken wallet. Never again will I ignore a problem.
Neither should you.
Topics Illustrated Include:
Bad News
Complacency
Consequences
Expensive
Ignore
Learn
Mechanics
Money
Neglect
Problem
Repair
Sin
Vehicle
(Resource cataloged by David R Smith)
