Overview:
A nail in a car tire caused the author to reflect on how sometimes we think our problems are worse than they actually are. The nail didn't cause any real damage to the tire, just like some of our fears and anxieties are unfounded. The author encourages readers to focus on the good things that God has already allowed to happen in their lives, rather than magnifying the bad.
It’s funny how something as small as a nail can change your perspective on things.
And I’m not talking about the nails that were used to crucify Jesus Christ. I’m talking about the nails that severely damage our car tires. A few years ago, my car was the victim of one of those nails and I had to have a tire repaired.
I drove through a construction zone and accidentally ran over a board in the middle of the road.
Within minutes, I got a message on my dashboard that my car was losing pressure in one of its tires. Immediately (like within the next 3 highway exits), I took it to a tire shop to repair.
Thankfully, they were able to fix it without much cost.
A few weeks later when I looked at the same tire and saw a nail sticking out, I almost fainted. I checked the tire closely just to make sure that I was not catching a reflection from the bright sun but it was indeed a nail.
Because of my job and appointments I had that day, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to get it fixed. However, I didn’t want to take the risk of it having a slow leak and leaving me stranded somewhere.
I prayed for God to let me make it back to the tire repair shop before it went flat so they could fix it. After making my way to the tire shop the next day, the mechanic quickly went to work on it. He came back within 5 minutes to say that the nail didn’t go through the sidewall and that it was only stuck in the groove of the tire.
As a result, there was no real damage done to the tire. I was happy that I didn’t have to spend the
money but I also marveled at how the situation also had a spiritual lesson.
On the surface, the nail looked like it had done greater damage than in reality it actually had. In much the same way, we sometimes think the issues we are dealing with are worse than they actually are. For example, we avoid going to doctors because we are afraid of what they might tell us about our health. But we get a pleasant surprise when we do go the doctor and are told that we’ve actually lost weight and our
health has improved.
Sometimes it’s past disappointments that keep us fearful that the situation is actually worse than it is.
Philippians 4:7 encourages:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Instead of magnifying the bad that we think may come, this scripture reminds us that we should magnify the good that God has already allowed to happen in our lives.
Shewanda Riley is a Fort Worth, Texas based author of “Love Hangover: Moving from Pain to Purpose After a Relationship Ends” and “Writing to the Beat of God’s Heart: A Book of Prayers for Writers.” Email her at preservedbypurpose@gmail.com or follow her on Instagram @shewandawrites.