John 14:15-17

If you love me keep my commands.  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever – the Spirit of truth.  The world cannot accept him, because it never sees him nor knows him.  But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

Jesus left us his teachings as recorded in the Bible, but that’s not all.  He sent us his Holy Spirit to guide us.  A couple of weeks ago, I had what I call an instant lesson by the Holy Spirit. 

I was borrowing a jack stand from my son Ben, and I explained to him the reason I needed it.  Some guys who didn’t know what they were doing had pushed a grand piano sideways without lifting it, and they broke off one of the legs.  I had volunteered to fix it.

Since I’d worked for ten years with pianos, I was well aware of what would happen if you just push a grand piano sideways.  My explanation to Ben included a belittling assessment of the guys involved in detaching the piano leg. 

Ben and I carried the jack stand over to the car I was driving. He had loaned me the car, so he knew it well.  I opened the trunk to put in the jack stand.  When I went to close the trunk, I did what I usually do, I slammed it down, but it didn’t close.  So I slammed it again. It didn’t close.  Then Ben enlightened me to my error.  He explained that when you slam it down it bounces up causing the latch to miss.  He went on to say the best way is to put it down gently giving the latch time to engage.

Almost immediately, I was aware of the correlation between my unawareness of the way to handle the trunk closing, and the guys who were unaware when trying to move the piano.  My making light of the way the piano was moved was unkind and prideful. 

So, I had an instant lesson.  I should not judge or make fun of others because I know something they don’t know.  There is a lot that I don’t know as with the trunk closing.  I wouldn’t like someone making fun of me because of my lack of knowledge. 

I will try to remember this lesson.  This is not the first time that I’ve encountered this lesson, consequently I’m thankful that the Holy Spirit is patient, and that he will always be with me to help me remember.  I foresee many instant lessons in my future.