What did the gasoline pouring out of my car cost me?

We cry over many types of liquid that have been spilled or poured out of containers accidentally: spilled milk (as the saying goes), grape juice on carpets (why do you think we have crimson carpet in the church building?) and other types of mishaps of the liquidy kind. Most of these at worst only cost us a stain with which we must deal.

Recently I was pumping my gas as I always do. I started the pump by inserting my debit card, locked the handle of the pump and went inside to get a SunDrop while my car was being fueled. After talking to a few people I knew, I was about to pay for my drink when somebody said "that car just overflowed with gas." Fear set in as I realized it was my car. Never in my life have I had that happen, nor had I seen it happen. In embarassment, I rushed to the car, but thankfully someone had already stopped it for me. I looked at how much gas had been pumped, and let's just say it pumped out about another eight plus gallons onto the concrete pad at the gas pumps. That little mishap with the gasoline pouring out of my gas tank cost me about $25 more than I would have spent otherwise. Let's just say I'll not be leaving my car unattended at the gas pumps anymore as the sign does say "do not leave car unattended while fueling." This was like throwing away money in the trash can, though the price could have been a heftier penalty if someone hadn't been gracious enough to shut off my pump.

It reminds me of another time when precious fluid was poured out at a much higher cost than my gasoline. Jesus, when instituting the Lord's Supper, said "this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many" (Mk. 14:24). Paul said to the Ephesian elders that Christ purchased the church with His own blood (Acts 20:28). The Hebrews writer said "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Heb. 9:22). The picture in the original language is a pouring out of blood. Christ paid for our sins with the ultimate outpouring - His blood!

Thanks be to God that we can't put a quantitative price on the sacrifice that His Son gave for us. The outpouring of gas at the gas station was cleaned up with the oil spill and the rest evaporated from the heat. However, the blood of Jesus still continues the cleanse the child of God who walks in the light (1 Jn. 1:7). Do you need to take advantage of the blood of Christ?

Potpourri

I haven't blogged in a while, but I wanted to catch everyone up to speed on what was going on with me. Are you ready? Okay, here it comes!

• Turkey season is finally over, so now it's time to go catch some fish.
• I have had two very busy weeks, but they have been productively busy. Last Thursday a group from West 7th went to the Brushy community in Hickman county and worked on a house that had been hit hard by the flood. I will write an article about this in the church bulletin sometime soon.
• Last Friday I played in the golf challenge for the Tennessee Children's Home in Spring Hill, and our team came in second place. There is a story about me kissing a frog, and I think the pictures will show up on Facebook, but I enjoyed posing for the camera.
• Saturday I worked from 6:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. I pulled weeds, sprayed Roundup, moved boxwood bushes, planted double knockout rose bushes, spread three truck loads of mulch, conducted a funeral, mowed the yard and field, applied Preen to our mulchbed and that about sums up my day. That afternoon at the funeral, I almost pulled the lectern over on top of me. I must have put too much pressure on it with my hands when I was going to sit down, and I could hear gasps from the audience. As I turned around it was coming right toward me, and everybody got a big smile as I returned it to its upright position. That's the first time I've ever had that happen at a funeral, and I've conducted many of them over the last eight and a half years.
• Today we hosted the 3rd Monday Workshop at West 7th, and we finished up by eating lunch together at Farmers Family Restaurant. Next month we will travel to Hendersonville.