Airhead and the Flat Tires

I don't know if you are one of the lucky ones who was born with common sense, but if you are you will not be able to relate to this story. Apparently, when God made me, He decided that common sense can only be appreciated when it is displayed against a backdrop of blissful ignornance. I am one of the happiest morons you will ever meet. While on some levels, I am considered intelligent, on other levels, I am considered to be the poster child for "You did WHAT?"

I once turned a three hour trip to Cincinatti from Kentucky, into a nine hour tour blissfully lost in Indiana.
I once removed a burned out headlight from my car by cutting the wire attached to it. Apparently, they simply unplug.
I once put all the wrong checks in the uitility bills' envelopes, delivered them all, forcing a spur of the moment summit meeting of representatives of each company to meet to exchange the checks.
I once nearly wrecked flashing my lights at an oncoming motorcycle that refused to dim his brights. Turns out it was an oncoming train running on a track parallel to the road.

For my latest stunt, I decided to do my husband a wonderful favor, and mow the yard. We have a zero turn mower, and after a quick demostration by my husband before he headed to work, I felt equipped to handle the job. I mowed for 3 hours straight zipping around trees and poles, excited to to show off my accomplishment to my husband. Mowing a couple of acres is no small task. As he got out of his truck at about midnight, (he worked second shift), he eyed the yard suspiciously. I quickly mentioned I missed a few spots, but I would get them the next day so he wouldn't feel the need to point them out.

The bewildered look on his face didn't go away. I'm sort of used to him looking at me that way, but I usually know why. I didn't have a clue what the issue was this time.

He walked around the yard , in the dark for a few minutes, then asked to see the mower. I was quite proud to show him I had maneuvered and parked the mower exactly where he always does. My pride took a quick nose dive when he looked at the mower, looked at the yard, looked at me, and then a light seemed to spark in his eyes, while I was still very much in the dark.

"Didn't you notice you had two flat tires?"

I really despise techinical questions- such as "Didn't you notice the red light on the dash?", "Didn't you smell the smoke?" or my favorite, "Didn't you hear that noise?".

No, I did not smell, hear, or see anything.

In my usual non-committal voice, I replied, "You mean on the mower?".

"Yes, on the mower."

Now here is where I get confused. If there are two flat tires on a vehicle, technically it should not be able to move. As long as movement is possible nothing is broke( or does that just apply to bones.)

Apparently, the two flat tires were on the same side. Now, this still meant nothing to me. Some of you have already figured out the problem. My husband than took me under the flood light in the yard so I could get a better look at my handiwork. The entire yard looked like a bad haircut. The mower had leaned to the flat side, cutting each row at an angle, with a difference of about 4 inches from side to side of each row.

Of course the most disturbing part of the whole situation- I didn't notice.

I didn't notice I was personally leaning to one side. I didn't notice the yard wasn't even. I didn't notice I was having difficulty steering the mower. And honestly, if every man who worked for us hadn't pointed it out this week, I'm not sure I would have ever noticed. I only looked at my effort, not the result.

I have struggled to find the REAL spiritual meaning in this event. I truly believe there is always something to be learned. My first thought was, "I'll never do another one of my husband's chores again. That'll show him!" But alas, while my flesh cheers at my new decree, my heart knows that is truly the easy way out. My non-existant common sense tells me to air up the tires on the flat side, and flatten the tires on the opposite side, and mow again thereby evening out the yard. But again, there is this rather faint voice in my head saying, "That only makes sense in your world, where all logical thinking has been suspended in order to ensure that your days are filled with laughter."
And so I step up to the looking glass, where I look upon myself through the purest light of God's Word, and find the error of my ways. Much to my surprise, not really, the error had little to do with flat tires. I realized that if I had not been so caught up in making myself look good, I would have been more focused on making my husband look good. I wanted him to come home and ramble on and on about what a wonderful wife he had. I wanted all the farm workers and visitors to the farm to see me mowing with that big commercial piece of equipment and marvel at the man that was able to "snag her as a wife". I wanted my husband to tell me I didn't have to cook and we'd order in because I was surely exhausted from all my hard work. I wanted him to overlook all the dirty laundry, dirty dishes, dust, and unmade beds, because I had SACRIFICED to do something significant for him.
Now we come to the heart of the matter. I had rejected all the tasks given to me by God and my husband in order to do something a little more exciting and noticable by the world. In the mirror of my heart I see I Samuel 15:22 shimmering on the glass, "to obey is better than sacrifice...". My husband would have been more pleased with me, if he had returned home to a clean house, a clean towel to use when he showered, a hot meal, and an end table that his glass of soda didn't stick to while he watched the news. Instead he had none of those things, and still had to mow the yard again.
Motive is EVERYTHING, when in service for our King. We can be doing seemingly great things for the King in the world's eyes, but still be disobediant by not doing what he asked. The greatest sacrifice is striving to do more AFTER you have exhausted yourself doing all He asked. Then all of our efforts become focused on Him, because our heart cry becomes, "I have little left to give, but all I have left is Yours." How much sweeter sacrifice becomes after obediance.
I may never again mow a yard, in this life or the next-(God has informed me the cattle on the thousand hills keep them looking nicely so He has no need of my services there either.) I do know that I will strive to obey, keeping more air in my tires and less air in my head.