Florida is really tough on automobiles. Between the blazing sun, the tropical rains and humidity, and the salt air, rust is a constant and consistent threat to metal. My ’69 Chevy (Big Blue) finally went to that great junkyard south of town because the little rust devils surrounding all four fenders quit holding hands!

A few years ago, Pat’s Honda was in serious need of a paint job. The man who painted her car was from the north. He didn’t understand the sun and moisture problems we face in Sarasota. He used a type of paint that a local person would not have used. (I learned every bit of this AFTER the job was done and paid for, of course!) He also believed that if a normal coat of paint would do well, then a really thick coat would do better. Well, it didn’t. It sagged as it dried. Eventually, hairline cracks appeared in the finish of the paint. Water seeped in and, well, you know the Paul Harvey “rest of the story”! Rust worked it’s way under the paint and began its silent, but deadly destruction.

We either had to have it repainted or continue to watch the gradual formation of a rather irregularly shaped sun/moon window in the roof of her car. Pat’s Honda and my Tonka are both well up in years. I guess anyone with even a few smarts (and a wheelbarrow full of money!) would have traded vehicles a long time ago. NOT! Have you priced cars lately? We elected to preserve what we had and found a local, Florida paint and body man. He did a beautiful job. As you know, I’m always looking for “Life Lessons” in the rather ordinary events I observe around me. The more I thought about Pat’s car, the more the hairline cracks intrigued me. They seemed so tiny on the surface. Yet, as the man ground the old paint away, he exposed a large area of rust. An O. T. scripture came to mind. “Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.” (Song of Solomon 2:15) Two N.T. verses also popped into my brain: “Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.” (James 3:5) and “Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?” (I Cor 5:6)

What “Life Lesson” did I find in this?

• It doesn’t take much of a crack (compromise) in our Christian principles and convictions to allow massive inner destruction.
• Time for a Reality Check! Are you not far less disturbed now than you were years ago by violence, immorality, war, and crime?
• Have you allowed certain words to creep into your regular vocabulary and conversation that your parents and grandparents would have abhorred?
• Television, radio, movies, books, magazines, and other media have combined to desensitize us to the horror of these things. The average child, by age 18, has seen 200,000 acts of violence and 25,000 murders on television.
• Few of us wander from the Lord in big, giant steps. We move in minuscule increments. Beware the little compromises. They may seem tiny and insignificant on the surface. However, the hidden, out-of-sight damage that occurs can be extensive, even deadly. Truly, if we draw close to Him, He will draw close to us!
• He is also great at Body work! His sanding may seem a bit harsh at the moment, but certainly results in a perfect result. His fill material is top quality and applied in an even manner. His paint is NEVER too thick and is always the right color for us. He can take the worst human wreckage and restore it to it’s original creative form!

Bottomest Line? When you (and the Holy Spirit) first notice the slightest, tiniest, smallest, most infinitesimal hairline crack in your character, get it fixed. Remember the commercial about auto engines and oil? “You can pay me now or you can pay me later.”

Let the great Body Expert get to work. Accept His recommendations. Follow His instructions to the letter.

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