Filling Your Lamp

So today I was driving back to work, and my car died. The battery lightw as flashing, and then the radio turned off and the car turned off. That was lovely. It was wet and rainy (very very wet and rainy) and I had been at an Eye appointment earlier. My eyes were still a little fuzzy, and I was in flats, trying desperately to push the car over to the side of the road. I was trying so hard to push with one hand, and steer with the other. Whew! That was tough work. I was just hoping that one of the oh, say, 30? cars that passed by would stop and help me at least get out of the lane instead of just going around me. Fortunately, I screamed and growled loudly enough that a man came over to help me. I was SO grateful. It got me thinking. You can have your battery jumped, but that doesn't always guarantee you'll make it. Then I started thinking about the Parable of the Ten Virgins. Someone can give you a "jump" of oil, but if you don't do what it takes to keep that full (whether it's keeping the car on to make sure the battery recharges, or replacing the battery, or fixing some underlying problem like the alternator which is sucking all of the power out of the batter) then you are no better off. Faster than you know, you're back to empty. Besides, there isn't always someone around who can "jump" you. It's important that every day we do those things that keep filling our spiritual lamps, to keep driving around on the power we've stored up, so it can continue to grow stronger. Initially, someone can give us a push, but that's where it ends. It's up to us to do the rest. 'Tis the season! Oh, and if you see some chick in the middle of the road trying to push her car over (whether it's raining or not), don't just think someone else will help her, STOP and help. I will next time! Chances are, she's been out there in the soaking wet weather trying to push her car for the last 15 minutes or so. Merry Christmas, and in the immortal words of Charles Dickens, "God bless us, everyone."