Love to Drive Straight

Over the last few weeks, I've noticed that my van hasn't been driving exactly the way I want it to.  It has been pulling a little bit, a tiny vibration, a little loose, just not acting right.  Without being able to describe what's wrong, I know I can't really take it to someone to have them look at it.  I mean what am I supposed to say?  Well, something is starting to go wrong, but I really don't know what, and I don't know if you can even find it?  Insert many dumb blonde jokes here.  Believe me, I know most of them.
Earlier this week, I came home to see a friend of the family's truck in the drive.  He helps us out with vehicle repairs sometimes and actually was working on my dad's van, so I wandered down to the two of them.  I asked if when they were done, could they check my tires for 'play', whatever it is that my dad does when he looks at a tire and miraculously knows what is wrong....
After a few minutes of talking about what was wrong, they asked if I had checked the tire pressures.  Stupid me......  Nope, I had never even thought about it.  So after checking the tires and discovering that one of the back tires was about 15 psi low, I was told to drive it and see if that fixed my problems before we start looking for any kind of front end problems.
As I drove to work the next morning, straight and smooth, feeling silly that something as simple as a soft tire had been causing me problems for weeks and I hadn't been able to pinpoint it, I had to think about all of the little things in life that we let side track us.
How often have I let the devil give me an excuse not to make it to church Sunday morning because I was out Saturday night?  How many times have I not read my devotional because I was running late and it was easy to 'make up time' by cutting out that portion of my day?  How many times have I taken from the Lord because the world has gotten in the way?  How long before that tire is soft?  How long before it is flat?
After I read my bible, when I pray, when I go to my Thursday night bible study, attend church, spend time in community with others, when I give back to God, when I add some air to the tire, when the car drives a little bit straighter, is when everything seems to go so much easier.
Life is still hard.  I still need to add gas and oil and change the tires to keep the car running and you need to do the same with God and your relationship with Jesus, but if you do the work, if you spend the time, it is easier, every day.  Miss the maintenance, miss the time, miss the devotion and the next time is harder.
Check your tires...  Are they all aired up?  Do you need an oil change?  See if you can find an extra 5 minutes to spend with God today.  See if you feel a difference.  Bask in His love as He changes you.