It was a late night, actually it was a very early morning, when I was driving north on 35W to my apartment in Roseville. I was just south of Minneapolis when things went wrong. The front driver side tire blew, but thankfully I made it safely to the shoulder to deal with this huge inconvenience. I was bummed and tired, but it wasn’t the first time I needed to change a tire.
I took the spare and jack out of the trunk and began the process I needed to go through to complete my journey home. I was thankful that all the necessary parts were in the right places. I positioned the jack to lift the front end while listening to the occasional car flying by in the middle of the night. Now it was time for the lug wrench and my muscles to remove the useless tire before I jacked the car off the ground. Here is where things went haywire.
I am pretty sure that the tire had not been changed or balanced since 1972 and it was 1987. If you know anything about changing tires you know that I am trying to tell you that the tire was in no mood to be taken off. Rust and time had set in. My quick tire change before I was in bed was a pipe dream.
I was now drenched in sweat from my efforts. I had jumped up and down on that wrench to no avail other than hurting my feet. I hammered on those lug nuts while thinking all sorts of unpleasant blessings I could bestow on this inanimate object. I had also proceeded to yell at the tire, the wrench, my car and passing cars just to vent so my head wouldn’t explode. After six hours, actually about one hour of this I locked my doors and headed toward the McDonald’s on Lake Street to call for help. Remember, cell phones are some future miracle that I could not even comprehend would ever exist.
efforts. I had jumped up and down on that wrench to no avail other than hurting my feet. I hammered on those lug nuts while thinking all sorts of unpleasant blessings I could bestow on this inanimate object. I had also proceeded to yell at the tire, the wrench, my car and passing cars just to vent so my head wouldn’t explode. After six hours, actually about one hour of this I locked my doors and headed toward the McDonald’s on Lake Street to call for help. Remember, cell phones are some future miracle that I could not even comprehend would ever exist.
My dad was deep in sleep, but as I expected he soon made his way to my location to rescue his son. He greeted me and we headed toward my evil car that had brought out so many creative sinful expressions just an hour before. I hoped my father would use some magical leverage technique he had learned in the Marine Corps. Instead, he took a can from the back of his truck. and told me to just wait in his truck. He came back in and we ate some of mom’s chocolate chip cookies he had brought with him.
After about 20 minutes we went out. He had me crank on the lug nuts and with a reasonable amount of effort the tire came right off. Dad had introduced me to the magic of Liquid Wrench. I now always have a can or two around.
Here is the deal. My muscles didn’t get stronger with the arrival of my father. The wrench didn’t click into a new gear. I didn’t all of a sudden produce a brilliant idea that popped that tire right off. I was simply rescued by a gift outside myself. I was rescued through Liquid Wrench doing what it does.
God brings faith to us as a gift. We believe and trust with this faith. Then we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. The faith isn’t what saves us. But faith does its thing and through it—Jesus rescues us. Paul describes this in his letter to the Galatians and we will be looking at it this Sunday during our worship service.
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2.20
See you Sunday
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