Awhile back, I took my pickup into the shop to have some work done. I had noticed liquid on the floor of the garage under the engine where it was being parked. It looked like a combination of oil and water. I had it in the shop for them to determine what was wrong and have it repaired.
They came back with news that
there was a leak in a seal as well as a water pump that was leaking. The seal leak was in the same area as the
water pump, and was also in the same area as the timing belt and associated
parts.
As it was about time to replace
the timing belt anyway, I told them to
go ahead and fix the seal leak, install a new water pump, and replace the
timing belt. All of that could be done at the same time by working in the
same area of the engine, saving me some future expense in labor.
When I received my pickup back,
it started and ran just fine, but when I tried to accelerate from a low speed,
the engine hesitated. At higher speeds,
it did just fine.
I took it back in and told them
what was going on. I told them the
engine wasn’t doing the hesitation thing before I brought it in for service,
but was following the repair.
It took some time as well as the
mechanic going down the wrong rabbit hole at first before they finally figured
out what was going on. When the timing
belt is replaced, everything has to go back in place exactly right or the
timing of the engine…the sequences of things that happen inside the
engine…won’t be correct. The engine
won’t run correctly.
You may have guessed by now that
the mechanic made a tiny error in replacing the belt and associated
equipment. The error was so small that
he didn’t notice it at first glance. But
when he corrected the error, the engine ran much better…more like it should.
I’ve thought about that
experience recently as it pertains to life and living, wondering if there is a
lesson for us in that story. Can a tiny
error…something just a little “off” so to speak, create some kind of negative
effect that is much larger than the error would seem to make it?
Recently, I had a workup done by
my primary care doctor. He did all of
the things, including blood work. The
results came back mostly in the “good” or “normal” regions. But one result, my vitamin D level, came back
borderline deficient. My level was at
the lower end of normal.
He suggested that I take a
supplement to get my level more into the middle of the normal range. I didn’t think much about it, but the next
time I was in the pharmacy, I bought a supplement and started taking it
daily. I need to tell you that I also
have lower back pain from diagnosed osteoarthritis. Sometimes that discomfort is enough to force
me to have to sit down for a time and give it a rest. I also have difficulty exercising more than
about 20 or so minutes due to the pain and discomfort.
However, after taking the vitamin
D supplement, in the matter of just three or four days, my lower back pain
lessened considerably. It is still
there, but is much more manageable.
I wondered if the vitamin D
supplement was the cause of the decreased discomfort because I had made no
changes other than beginning to take the supplement. I looked up symptoms of vitamin D deficiency
and found “bone pain,” especially lower back pain to be one of the symptoms.
Apparently, something as simple
as increasing my intake of vitamin D has resulted in a big change in how I feel
from day to day.
I could tell you of other things
I’ve found that seem small and insignificant, but have a big effect just like
the timing belt that was just a tiny bit “off” but caused an engine to
misfire. Daily exercise, which for me
consists of 15 to 20 minutes of walking.
Regular exercises for my shoulder, which is also being attacked by
arthritis. Drinking enough water
daily. Eating a good variety of fruits
and veggies, especially fresh fruit and vegetables.
And then there’s the spiritual
and emotional aspects of life that can be greatly affected in a positive way by
some of the “small things.” Regular
immersion into the Word of God. Taking
time for meditation and quiet. Turning
off the TV, the radio, and the noise. Meeting
with church family. Taking in nature,
whether in my back yard, in a park, or in the wide-open countryside. Being with friends and family. Sharing kindness, empathy, and resources. Taking time to write, construct, garden,
solve puzzles, cook, or whatever it is that gives you joy. Prayer.
I’m sure you can think of other
things that by themselves seem insignificant, but have much, much value. At least some of these need to be toward the
top of our priority list each day. Our
“engines” (so to speak) just run better when everything works together as it
should.
May God bless you continually as
you seek those things which bring you into, and keep you in the proper timing
of life.
