What are you full of? My father, as a retired physician, had an old John Deere tractor on his small farm on the French Broad River near Knoxville. He loved that old tractor, but it was frequently in need of repair. The hydraulics leaked and the tires were old, but it seemed to always run. He had to carry a tool box with it, just in case it had a problem. I suppose this was a flashback from his childhood. His father, who was also a physician, would leave the house and tell my father, about aged 12 at the time, to make sure the field was mowed by the time he returned. My father would go to start the tractor, but it wouldn’t start. Rather than give up and make an excuse, he would start working on the tractor until he got it running. He would then mow the field. My grandfather passed away unexpectedly a few years later. My father was just a teen. My father’s repair skills came in handy many times around his family’s house when no one else was there to help. In his seventies, my father bought an old John Deere to help around the 18 acres. He re-lived his early years of tractor repair. As my father reached his late 70’s the tractor was still having problems, but my father was not as physically able to fix it. So, when I was in town, he asked me to help. However, I was not quite as handy as my father. One particular day, one of the air valves on the rear tractor tire was leaking. These tires have air, water, and antifreeze in them. The water to help give better traction and the antifreeze to keep water from freezing and ruining the tire. Fortunately the valve was in a position where the water and antifreeze was not leaking out. However, when I used the air valve puller to remove the faulty valve, the air pressure from the weight of that tractor sprayed the air and fluid out of that tire right into my face. Temporarily blinded, I struggled to put the new valve into the tire to stop the flow. Once I finally accomplished the task, I was soaked in water and antifreeze. At that moment I remembered that antifreeze was toxic when ingested or absorbed through the skin. I began spitting and spewing all I could get out of my mouth and maybe a bad word or two. I also started taking my soaked clothes off. I found a towel and wiped off all I could. But the tire task was not finished, we still had to refill the tire with air. So half dressed, I grabbed the air compressor hose and filled the tire. I then went to the house, rinsed my mouth out, and took a shower.
When Jesus was a boy, the scriptures say He “…grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.”(Luke 2:40 ESV) Jesus was known by having God’s favor and the wisdom he was filled with. He had so much wisdom at age 12 at the Temple in Jerusalem, the Gospel of Luke says, “all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.” (Luke 2:47 ESV) When we are filled with the Holy Spirit and we undergo pressure, patience and kindness comes out. When things get hectic, peace and joy come out. When someone is unkind to us, love comes out. However, when we forget Who we are filled with, other toxic things spew from us onto those around us. What (or Who) are you filled with?
Hang in there people! God is glad to be with us! I’m praying for us all!
