When I was in college my roommate told me about a friend of his who headed home for for the holidays. She was unaccustomed to car maintenance and while on the journey a “check engine” light came on. She wasn’t sure of what to do, but the light became an annoyance to her. Did she stop at a gas station and ask for help? No. She just kept on driving but the little “check engine” light still glowed and caught her eye and was more of a nuisance than a problem.
What was her solution?
Call home? No.
Finally stop? No.
Her solution: She placed a post-it-note over the glowing warning light.
Problem solved right? Out of sight, out of mind…wrong.
It may have been covered over by the post-it-note, but it was still there. The problem was still real. The inevitable was certain without appropriate action.
Sure enough, while on her journey home for the holidays, her car’s engine seized and became a pile of non-running junk.
Dear Salvation Army, is there maintenance, real spiritual maintenance that we are ignoring? Are we placing post-it-notes over the real problems, all the while pretending they don’t exist? They won’t go away if we just ignore them. These warning lights are real. Will it cause us some discomfort by actually looking at the cold hard truth of the situation? Yes. But what will the result be if we simply place a post-it-note over that glowing warning light?
Whatever that glowing light may be, we have to peel off the post-it-note and face the problems at hand head on. We cannot hide from these warning lights. We cannot shirk these responsibilities as an Army.
Dear Soldier, what are the warning lights in your life right now? Have you placed a post-it-note over them? Personal holiness is not easy. Personal holiness requires us to peel back that which we cover the vulnerabilities of our lives, the personal sins we do not want to let anyone see let alone God…and so we cover them over and refuse to acknowledge that they exist. We talk a good talk about holiness, but when it comes to truly allowing full surrender to happen we hold back, we refuse to allow God access to the areas in our lives that need the most work. How can we grow if we don’t surrender all? How can we mature and become like Christ if we simply ignore the warning lights?
I am right here with you, dear soldier. I do not claim that I have it all worked out in my life either. I too have ignored these warning lights on this spiritual journey. I too have withheld this full surrender while blatantly ignoring the warning lights.
Dear Salvation Army,
I don’t know if these post-it-notes are covering up unacknowledged sins, leadership failures, financial loopholes, unethical behaviors, policy standards, etc… How can we peel these post-it-notes off? How can we finally look at the problems, acknowledge them and finally move forward? What will it take? Will we have to wait for Christ’s return? Will we still be here by then if we have to wait? Are we missing out by not addressing these warning lights?
Dear Soldier,
I don’t know what your post-it-notes are covering either. It’s an extremely personal thing, I know. We all must work out our own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12)…but we don’t do it alone. We have the help of the Holy Spirit to guide us and to lead us. He will help us to peel back these post-it-notes as we finally see the un-addressed issues for what they are – opportunities for God’s healing to cleanse us fully and for us to finally be healed completely.
Let’s peel back the post-it-notes together…let’s finally see the trouble, the sin, the issues for what they truly are. Let us be healed completely!
Something more for our Army world to ponder today.
To God be the glory!
Pastor's Ponderings 
TSHELANYEMBA Hospital in Matobo District of Matabeleland South has been forced to close as a result of an acute shortage
of drugs, a development that has affected thousands of villagers who were solely dependent on the institution for medication.
The Salvation Army-run hospital had reportedly been facing several challenges ranging from water and electricity shortages
before its closure.
The head of the church in the Matabeleland region, Major Itai Mutizwa confirmed the closure of the hospital but referred
further questions to the hospital administrator, Major Edwin Jeremiah who could not be reached for comment.
“There have been some problems and what I can tell you is that some people stole the transformer and this resulted in the
electricity blackout,” said Maj Mutizwa.
“We appeal to people to assist us with the best and least they can have. You can also please talk to Major Jeremiah because
he is the person who can give you more information.”
Maj Mutizwa said their biggest worry is getting a transformer which will enable the hospital to be electrified. He also said the
hospital needs close to $6 000 to buy drugs.
The church has since sent out a begging bowl for donations towards the hospital and church youths and children are
reportedly being asked to pay a $1.
Villagers who spoke to Sunday News said the hospital has long been neglected, as it has been failing to give people proper
medication for diseases that are easily treated.
“The hospital was operational but it was not of use,” said Ms Khonzani Moyo, a local villager.
“In most cases we were told that there were no medicines and with that we were forced to go to Maphisa Hospital which is
about 50 kilometres away or take our ill relatives to St Joseph’s Mission Hospital or Beula Clinic for treatment.
“The hospital has been running without electricity and water. This forced the hospital to close the mortuary and they told us
some medicines could not be stored because of some temperature requirements.”
Another villager, Mrs Easter Mlambo, said the hospital has not been offering services to expecting mothers. Mrs Mlambo also
said parents are referred to Maphisa District Hospital for their babies to be vaccinated.
“There are no injections at Tshelanyemba Hospital because they can’t store injections in refrigerators as a result of the
electricity crisis. We face transport problems when we have to go to Maphisa. Life was difficult for us without the hospital but
due to its closure it’s going to be worse,” said Mrs Mlambo.
It also alleged that nurses at the hospital were fetching water from Shashani River, about 2km away, using buckets which they
carried on their heads.(ZIMBABWE)