There was a bite to the air as I pulled into the gas station. It was the kind of cold day that somehow prompted the air pressure in one’s tires to decrease, so I had to wait in line behind another at the air pumps. I shook my head as I recalled the treasured memory of full service gas stations and free air. I took a deep breath, gathered my quarters, and looked for my pressure gauge in the center console. The woman in front of me was just exiting her vehicle, so I decided to check my pressure while waiting.
I watched the lady, who seemed to be about my age, circle her vehicle and then look at me with wide eyes as I checked each of my tires. “You know how to work one of those things?”
“What? The pressure gauge? Yes.” I said assuredly.
“Could you help me?” She asked, uncertainty in her voice.
Feeling benevolent, I measured the pressure in her tires successfully. She put a dollar into the compressor, confident in my presumed ability to use a compressor. And this is where it went south! To any outside observer it could have appeared to be a Lucille Ball and Ethel Mertz adventure because using a tire gauge is one matter, putting air into the low tire is another all together.
But she looked so lost and I only wanted to help. So, I proceeded to the process of putting air into her tire: But that’s not what happened- instead I sucked a few pounds out. She tried, same results. I tried again. The tire got even lower!
“We are doing something wrong! Honestly, I don’t think I know what I’m doing.”
“Well, what do I do?” she asked.
Considering the question I knew Lucy would have kept trying. If you’ve seen any Lucille Ball’s adventures you know her shenanigans often went from bad to worse becoming a complete comedy of errors. By the time she got through the tires would have been completely flat and someone would have fallen. That day, I decided to be Jamie and not Lucy. So, I answered, “I am going to Lakeway Tires to talk to someone who knows what they are doing. You might want to consider that.”
I got back into my car and drove a few feet to the tire shop. Once there, the service worker filled my tires-absolutely free…while I sat in the car!
What did I learn?
We all have different talents and abilities. I do NOT possess the innate ability to put air into a tire. A wise woman knows when to recognize her limitations and weaknesses and when to ask for help. An even wiser woman will learn from what went wrong, seek someone more experienced than herself to teach her, and learn how to accomplish the task correctly.
I did learn how to put air in my tire correctly. I asked my husband to show me, so he did. And, I will do it…in emergency situations. But there are others who can do the job much more quickly and efficiently. My husband put it this way, “Most people can drive. But not everyone can be Jeff Gordan.”
In the human body there are many parts and organs, each with a unique function. And so it is in the body of Christ. For though we are many, we’ve all been mingled into one body in Christ. This means that we are all vitally joined to one another, with each contributing to the others. God’s marvelous grace imparts to each one of us varying gifts and ministries that are uniquely ours.
Romans 12:4-6 TPT
Jamie Lyn's Inkwell 