A few days ago I was helping my son, Josh, change the brakes
on his ’97 Maxima. Neither of us had ever done a brake job before.
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| "How hard could it be?" |
How hard could it be? (Frightening words, I know).
Well, in no time we had the car on jacks and the wheels off
and we were staring at the brakes. I got the Haynes Service Manual out and Josh
got out his smart phone to dial up a How-To You Tube video (it’s a generational
thing). About the time I decided there was no further benefit in scratching my
head I heard a sound. Sure, it was a distant, muffled rumble, but it seemed to
be moving nearer to us. And it was. It got louder and louder, until—the Calvary
arrived!
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| "The brake's up here, near the wheel, right?" |
Chuck McMurray arrived on his Harley. Since he is an expert in
all things mechanical, the day was saved. “You already have the wheels off? You’ve
done the hardest part.”
Thirty-five minutes later, it was all over—except for
bragging on ourselves!
It’s amazing what a difference it makes when someone arrives
who has been there before.
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| Chuck, AKA, The Calvary |
Jesus understands how we fear the enemy of death. So, just
before his crucifixion he tries to comfort the disciples, “In my Father’s house
are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to
prepare a place for you” (Jn. 14:2). When it comes to the territory of death,
Jesus has already been there. And he has borne the full impact of death on
Himself. It is a comfort to be in the presence of One who has been there before.
Death has no power over us anymore. It has lost its sting. We’re freed to live
with confidence and serenity.
How do we know this?
It’s all in the Service Manual!
