Alignment

"Arrangement or position in a straight line - Alignment."  That was what my rear tires were not.  And as a result, one of them blew out due to excessive wear.  The fact that it was after hours on a Friday evening, half way between our home and our destination in another state simply added insult to the injury, an injury, by the way, that was self-inflicted.

I should note that the tire, which gave way to the excessive wear, was on the driver's side - that being mine. I point that out because it was my car, my tire and my responsibility, which I failed epically.  It would be one thing if I had hit a chuck hole in the road, knocking it out of alignment and blowing out the tire.  But that was not the thing.

The misalignment had been ongoing for some time, long enough for my wife to mention, on at least three occasions, "There's something wrong with this car."  The car, therefore had been telling me for all that time that it was out  of alignment.  And, if I had bothered to pay attention, the wear of the tires had to be screaming, "WE ARE OUT OF ALIGNMENT!"  But I wasn't listening until, on I-30 heading west down in Texas, the warnings stopped as the tire gave out.

"He who has ears to hear, let him hear" (Lk 14:35).  Yeah, that should have been me but it wasn't.  I'm listening now and I'm hoping to be more attentive to my wife's attempts to point out what should have been obvious and the road noise my car is chattering to make me aware of its stress.  And, my wife and I agree that new tires with a life-time alignment and road-wear coverage is a really good idea.

As unwelcome, impacting and expensive as a blow-out, after hours and out of state can be, it is only a thing that is endured, hopefully learned from and gotten past with maybe a better plan for the future.  My tires were out of alignment and my brain was out of order, but my wheel line is orthodox (straight) now and my plans going forward seem to be as well.  It was only a thing.

Unfortunately, however, for many who may have their tires in proper alignment, their faith is not, their life is not, their eternal future is not.  And this misalignment, if left to the extreme I let my tires get to has no recovery, no turning back.  If one allows their spiritual alignment with God to remain in an unorthodox state until it gives way, what then?  The Lord warns, "people are destined once to die and then the judgment" (Heb 9:27).

I was foolish to not listen to my wife, the road noise and the tires.  But I can get past this.  My alignment was reset, new tires are on the car and a new plan is set going forward.  How is your alignment?  Not with your car, as important as that can be, but with your Lord for that is not a thing but THE THING.  Don't be as foolish as I was with my car when it comes to your faith.  Check your alignment, check the wear and tear on your soul, listen to the Spirit's warning.  Jus' Say'n

Oh, by the way.  Have your tires looked at now and then too.  Seriously.