My toolbox – In my toolbox I have this nice little tire plugging kit. It is one of the most important tools I have. In the kit is a tool that pulls the nail out of the tire. It has a tool to clean the edges. And it has a tool to insert the new tire plug. I have had this kit for years and have rarely had opportunity to use it. This past week I had two opportunities to perfect my skills at plugging tires.
Scott’s truck – Sitting under the awning at Church at the most inopportune time possible sits Scott’s truck with a tire as flat as a pancake. He wishes that he would have stopped and put some air in it. But just putting air in it would not have fixed the problem. There was this little piece of metal with a sharp point on the end that we call a nail sticking in the tire. This little inordinate object not more than a half inch long and weighing just a few ounces has brought a four thousand pound vehicle to a halt.
Jana’s van – Sitting in the garage with a leaning corner, I knew something was wrong with the van. I knew that just putting some air in it would not work. I pulled the tire and found this same little pointed culprit delaying our family from a night out to eat.
The nail – Just a few ounces in weight, measuring less than an inch in length, costing less than a penny to make, brought down a vehicle. This little pointed object brought down a vehicle weighing thousands of pounds, measuring sixteen feet in length, and costing thousands of dollars.
The tongue – A little sharp pointed object that can bring down the largest of Church bodies. An object that is almost impossible to tame and control. An object that can bring so much harm in a very little time.
I Peter 3:10
For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech.
They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it.