I did not author this piece, but I love the reminder.
Imagine needing to fill a flat bike tire. You bring out the air hose
and compressor hook it up, and start pumping. You keep filling without
knowing the exact PSI tolerances of the tires. All of sudden, "BOOM!",
the tire blows.
A few months later while driving your car, your tire goes flat. You
pull into a gas station next to the "free air" pump. Stepping out of
the car, you stoop down to examine the tire. Embossed on the rubber is
the warning, "Do not exceed 40 PSI".
"Great", you think. "I have no pressure gauge. How will I know when it
is too full? I don't want to blow this tire too. It could hurt me."
While you are pondering what to do, an mechanic silently walks up and leans against the pump.
Out of seemingly nowhere you hear,"Just fill it"
You turn around and stare at the tall person wearing a greasy blue jumper.
"I don't have a pressure thingy", you nervously retort.
He smiles knowingly, "Just fill it."
You slowly grab the hose and press the nozzle against the open valve
stem. The motorized pump turns on to maintain tank pressure as the tire
begins to rise. The once flabby rubber becomes more and more turgid.
Your thoughts flash back to when the bike tire exploded in your face
and made your ears ring for hours. When the tire seems safely full, you
pull back the hose and tell the mechanic,
"I think that's good. It feels full."
He shakes his head and says with a chuckle, "Nope. Keep filling."
You reluctantly put the hose back to the valve stem and resume your
task. After 5 more seconds pass, you once again lose your nerve and
have a hard time hiding it.
"It's full now right? I really don't want this thing popping in my face."
"Don't worry, I wear this outfit for a reason."
"But it feels completely full! It won't take any more."
"Just a little more."
You take his argument on authority while silently wondering how much money you could sue him for if the tire ever did blow.
"Ok.", you say. Once more you press the nozzle to the tire. This time
you decide to hold on till it pops or the man tells you to stop. You
close your eyes and wince in anticipation of the enormous boom which is
sure to send you flying across the parking lot. You resist the wants of
your fear by simply tensing up harder. Suddenly, you hear a hissing
sound behind you. The pressure in the tire has equaled the pressure
preset in the tank's release valve. The tank won't let the tire be
filled anymore. It had a built in release to keep the pressure in a
safe range. Now it all makes sense. You turn around with a smile to
explain your embarrassment to the mechanic, only to find he is gone.
The next 3 tires are filled with confidence and you enjoy the smoothest
ride of your life as you head home.
The point of my short story is that when you trust that Jesus is in
control of your life, you KNOW with utmost confidence, that the
pressure being exerted on you will be bearable. Jesus knows what you
can take, and what you can't. Even when it YOU could swear you can't
take anymore, He knows better. The stretching that goes on is meant to
make your relationship with Him stronger. Once you realize that He was
right, and when you "taste and see that the Lord is good", you will be
free from fear.
I encourage you to read Matthew 6, starting at verse 25. He knows when
a sparrow falls. Don't for one second think that He has forgotten you,
or that you are in this alone. Just keep filling.
