I Am Weak

On Saturday, I had an accident.

I work a part-time job, doing whatever driving that I am asked to do. I was hauling asphalt on this particular day. Now, most of us know asphalt as the road that you drive on or what is used to patch the road you drive on. This particular variety, AC5, is used for roofing shingles. When loaded, it loads around 1000 gallons a minute, at a temperature of 360 degrees. I guess it's that temperature, because if it hits you, you turn around and run.

While on my fifth load, the valve stuck and I got splashed with it. The problem was, I couldn't get to the valve and shut it off without further burning myself. While I did get it shut off, it wasn't until I had released around 3500 gallons onto my customers ground and spillway.

I'm okay, thanks for asking.

The weakness comes in here. While the asphalt was boiling out, I shouted several words of profanity, running around trying to get the valve shut off. Some would say that it was only natural, and I would agree with that. But I actually saw it as a great weakness on my part. Other than repeating things that others have said, I rarely use any form of profanity. I am around it enough that it still offends me. So why did I use it in my panic?

Several times in Scripture we are told to cry out to God. In joy or in pain, we are told to do so. Was this any different? I believe that God could have stopped the flow for me, if I had only called on Him to do so. At the very least, He could have slowed it to the point that I could have gotten in to shut it down.

After it was over, I just sat down and asked for forgiveness. I confessed my weakness and asked for the strength to do better. I was reminded of the father who asked that Jesus heal his child. In Mark 9:24 we see him cry out and ask Jesus to help his unbelief. May I make that my prayer today. In every situation, let the name of Jesus be on my lips in times of joy and times of pain. In calm and panic, may I look to the Creator to help and comfort.

MP