The High Cost of Small Things

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

Headed home from a leadership conference last week, my colleagues and I stopped to get gas. As we pulled up to the pumps, a woman on the other side of the filling station laid a fuel nozzle on the ground, with it still turned on! She ran into the store, as a growing river of gasoline flowed behind her SUV and into the parking lot.

“We need to stop it!” I said, bolting from the car and running toward the accident waiting to happen. I picked up the spewing nozzle and pulled the trigger, but the auto shut off was jammed!

After a few more frantic seconds, I stuck my finger behind the slippery hold open latch and physically disengaged it. The flow stopped. Still holding the dripping nozzle, I looked down and saw I was standing in a giant puddle of gasoline.

Someone from the store arrived on the scene, followed by the driver who’d started the gusher. I handed the employee the nozzle and walked away.

Later, in the bathroom, washing gasoline off my shoes and pants, it hit me. “One spark could have started an inferno out there, and I was standing in the middle of it!”

Back in the car and on the road, I shook like a leaf from all the adrenaline. That’s when God whispered, “You can wade into a stream of gasoline to turn off a gushing nozzle, but can’t find faith and courage to serve me in your life’s calling?”

The Lord was right. I’m often down for heroic acts, but struggle to live up to the moment-by-moment everyday tasks. The Holy Spirit whispered again:

In every moment, do exactly what God has called you to do.

The Third Person of the Trinity

Helping a little kid tie his shoes, is just as important as stopping a run away gas pump.

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

Kind reader, you and I are works in progress. And, if we are committed followers of Christ, it’s God’s progress. Whether our good works are heroic or mundane, the good Lord always finishes what He starts.

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:6 (NIV)

Thank you for reading. 🙏❤️Prayers and love.


The Stigma Stops Here 🛑.

#mentalhealthmatters


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Comments

21 responses to “The High Cost of Small Things”

  1. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Good point, Pastor Pete. Life can be like a roller coaster, but, with the Lord’s help we can stay on it.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Yes! God is so gracious and merciful and patient with us. This makes me want to be the same with all the other works in progress. Thanks for sharing, Bridget. God Bless!

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Bridget Avatar

    Wow, this post is powerful. I agree – we are a work in progress. I’m so thankful He doesn’t give up on us. He lovingly continues to mold us to be more like Jesus. Thank you for this encouragement.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. pastorpete51 Avatar

    Great message David. I have found that I am best prepared for those big moments when I have been willing to work in the small ones. Have a blessed weekend.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Pure Glory Avatar

    😊 Yes, your heart is to respond and help, no matter if anyone else noticed. God loves you!

    Liked by 1 person

  6. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Thank you for your kind words. You’re right, I acted without thinking too much about it. I knew that pump needed to be stopped and had no idea when help would arrive. What’s surreal is there were people pumping gas nearby who appeared to be unaware of what was happening. I appreciate your reading and commenting. God Bless!

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Pure Glory Avatar

    David, this was an emergency that you responded to immediately, and processed later. Your heart engaged first, you acted, then listened to the Holy Spirit. Your natural tendency is to be the first responder and take immediate action. Whether it is shutting off a jammed gas pump or helping a little one in distress, tie their shoes, David is there. What a wonderful moment to listen and process with the Holy Spirit.

    Although you did not mention it, your colleagues were also heroes, as they rode in the car with you, who smelled strongly like gasoline. Thank God for his protection! Appreciate your sharing this lesson, with your readers.

    God is blessing you!

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Gary Fultz Avatar

    Oh Man…my ptsd came back just reading this David…It’s a healthy thing to follow the prompts of the Spirit at any time though. Good thing you have “ears to hear…”

    Liked by 1 person

  9. davidsdailydose Avatar

    I froze in a similar situation before and have always regretted it. Thank God I wasn’t in to something over my head. It’s just super windy up here in the Sooner state. It may rain later. Thanks for stopping by, brother!

    Liked by 1 person

  10. The Devotional Guy™ Avatar

    DUDE!!! That could’ve turned out really badly really quickly. What a WILD scene that must have been! Sounds like your natural inclination is to run to the emergency not away from it. I ran over a gas pump once(long story). Thankfully, they had an emergency shutoff switch that disabled the pumps and stopped the flow of fuel.

    I admire how your relationship with God is such that He speaks to you in that moment and reveals the greater lesson. Teaching a kid how to tie his shoe is valuable and important, as is preventing a disaster. In either moment, you’re doing the right thing, trusting the Lord with the results.

    Man, I enjoyed reading this post, David. It’s a great encouragement. I’m glad it all turned out okay and that it only cost you some pants and shoes. Not bad for a lesson well learned in my estimation.

    Blessings to you and Nancy. It’s been a gullywasher down here in Big D.

    Liked by 1 person

  11. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Indeed they were, Sister Super-C! Thank you for reading and commenting. God Bless!

    Liked by 1 person

  12. davidsdailydose Avatar

    It was crazy, and somewhat dangerous! I didn’t stop and think until I was able to stop and think,if that makes sense.

    Liked by 1 person

  13. davidsdailydose Avatar

    True, Malcolm. Our reality show society has many folks looking for the cameras every time they do something newsworthy.

    Liked by 2 people

  14. God Still Speaks Avatar

    I’ll be they did!

    Like

  15. God Still Speaks Avatar

    I am glad God’s angels were surrounding you! And I love that God still speaks to us today and bless you for listening and sharing. This is powerful.

    Liked by 2 people

  16. seeingliketheeagle Avatar

    That sounds crazy David. That moment you realised what a precarious situation you found yourself in. Challenging and good word.

    Liked by 2 people

  17. malcolmsmusingscom Avatar

    Thanks, David, for sharing that important lesson. Perhaps it’s us that underestimates the importance of tying the kid’s shoelaces and puts doing stuff in order of importance… and there’s something about doing the right thing because it’s the right thing, not because I want to do something good.

    Liked by 2 people

  18. davidsdailydose Avatar

    It was, Matthew. My shoes and pants had to be thrown out, as I could not get the smell of gasoline out of them.

    Liked by 3 people

  19. Matthew J. Richardson Avatar

    That sounds nasty, David. Bravo for stepping up!

    Liked by 3 people

  20. davidsdailydose Avatar

    I’m glad this spoke to you, brother. The Lord certainly spoke to me through this event. He reminded me that, if I want to walk in the light as He is in the light, I don’t get to pick and choose how I serve Him.
    🙏May the Lord bless and keep you and Susan today. 🙏🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇺🇸

    Liked by 2 people

  21. Alan Kearns Avatar

    This is a very timely post David, thank you brother! The LORD has been challenging me about how and why I serve lately. I have been challenged to do things His way and for Him, rather than my way for me. I love your words here:

    “Kind reader, you and I are works in progress. And, if we are committed followers of Christ, it’s God’s progress.”

    Everything certainly does belong to Him! God bless you and Nancy today 🙏 🇺🇸🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

    Liked by 6 people

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