I drive a beautiful, blue, cross-over Toyota Venza.  This car runs smoothly, and is comfortable.  Recently, the dashboard of my Venza lit up.  Many orange lights were flashing.  These included the check engine light, the oil change light, and the flat tire light.  I panicked, as I did not understand what was wrong with the vehicle.  I drove the vehicle to a nearby car repair shop.  The shop owner told me to leave the vehicle at the shop so they can run some diagnostics on it.  The next day, I received a call informing me they would need to order some parts to fix the car.  Two days later, and a couple of hundred dollars later the vehicle was repaired.  So, I thought. A few days went by, and then the dash board lit up again.  The lights would not stop flashing.  I thought they had fixed the problem, but the vehicle was still acting up.

I took the vehicle to a different shop this time.  They informed the sensors in the vehicle were malfunctioning.  They would order new sensors, and install them.  I left the vehicle at this shop for a few days.  When I went to get the vehicle, the flashing lights had stopped.  Everything was working well.  I paid, and drove away.

A few days later … you guessed it …  the dash board lit up again.  The bright orange lights were flashing.  I was frustrated. Someone reminded me that since I drive a Toyota Venza, I must take it to a Toyota dealer.  The manufacturers know exactly what’s wrong with their product.  I drove my car to the Toyota of Pasadena shop. The helpful, courteous technicians asked me to wait as they ran diagnostics on the vehicle.  After a few moments, the technicians told me to come back after a few days.  When I returned, the car was as good as new.  No more flashing.  I asked the technicians what had been the problem.  They said cars these days have computers which need to be reset occasionally.  They simply reset the computer, and the car was fine.

In our lives, we all face challenges.  We all go through moments which drive us to seek help.  Life just does not work well at times.  Finances do not add up, children go rebellious, or relationships go sour. We sometimes face health problems, depression, sin, or death of a family member. We seek help which might temporarily fix the problem. Yet, we still feel empty, lost, confused, or frustrated.  Positive thinking, good vibes, or following the inward light, does not fix the problem.  Human effort, new age thinking, or self-help books come short.

We are the creation of the Creator, God.  He knows what’s best for us. He knows our function.  He knows our purpose. When life does not work, we need to go back to the Creator, to be reset.  We need to take what’s not working back to God. Our souls need to be refreshed by God.  When you have tried it all, it’s time to take yourself to God.  When all is not working, call on God.  Whatever challenges you are facing, take them to God.  He has the remedy.  He has the solution.  He is the remedy.  He is the solution.