This morning my mother called me downstairs. Our neighbour was in need of some assistance. His van battery was dead and needed a jump start.
Sounds simple enough but the ‘journey’ to get there was not as simple.
As I approached his house I saw that his van was in his garage and he was saying that it has been a while since they took out the van. At first I was trying to put his van into neutral so that we could push it out, but for some reason it was not working.
I ended up getting a battery charger from my garage to give it some power. We were able to get it into neutral and pushing the car was a little difficult because of how heavy the van was. There was a point where the van almost went into the middle of the street because my neighbour almost did not jump back into the van on time.
Eventually we were able to get the van to the end of the driveway but yet the van would not turn on. So I drove my car over and attached jumper cables and his van finally started.
Where am I going with this story?
I started reflecting on what jumper cables do for a car and what we are without that charge from God.
When we are not putting to use the things God has given us, like our talents or even our time, we really are just wasting them and letting them rot to the point where they become “useless”. It is in those moments of desperation when we really need something but then it becomes unavailable because we left it alone for so long.
But our God is a generous God. Sometimes all it takes is a prayer and humility to say “I need help,” or in this case a knock on a neighbours door. Sometimes with that knock we still have to work for the help, but it is the ‘journey’ in which you and the Lord take together. Eventually you will feel that ‘jolt’ of power from God that you and I need to live throughout the day.
For me, I consider the Eucharist as the ‘jolt’ I need to get through the day. A friend shared with me this quote from St. Francis de Sales in a book he/she was reading.
“Those who have little to do must receive Communion often, since it is not inconvenient for them; the same goes for those who have much to do, since then they have more need of it.”
God is there, he is just waiting for you.
What better way to ‘jolt’ your day than to have Jesus within you.
And with that may God be forever praised.