Shade Tree Wisdom 9/5/08

Weather is pleasant, cooler and nice for walking. But don’t get carried away and overdo it right away, OK?

In 1953 three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company began to try to find rust preventative solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts, or a ‘water displacement’ compound. They succeed in their 40th experiment, so we have WD-40. The Corvair Company bought it to protect their atlas missile parts.

Wonderful stuff for many uses. Ken East, one of the founders, says there is nothing in WD-40 that will harm you. Here are just some uses: Keeps flies off cows. Protects silver from tarnishing. Loosens stubborn zippers. Untangles jewelry chains. Removes tomatoes stains from clothing. Keeps water spots off glass shower door. Gets bugs off a car finish. Removes spatters from stove. And there are many others items to clean with it.

I know something else that also cleans. This goes much deeper than surface stains and defects, this gets to the bottom of things.

St. John, St. Paul, St Peter all speak of it. St. John says it most clearly when he writes, “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sins: 1 John 1,7. The word John uses means to deep clean, to purge, to purify. In the sense of really getting rid of the sin.

St. Peter writes (Let me use the Message here:), ”18 It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. 19 He paid with Christ's sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. 20 And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately—at the end of the ages—become public knowledge, God always knew he was going to do this for you. “ 1 Peter 1, 18-20.

Luke, writing of His Church in Acts 20,28, says: “Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost has made you overseer, to feed the flock of God, which He has purchased with his own blood.” While our Lord says during Communion, “This is My blood of the New Testament, shed for many for the remission of sins,” Matthew 26,28.

So its not man’s invention. It was planned by God from eternity, to cleanse us from the sin and guilt we bear. All this was brought to mind when I was reading about that wonderful invention, WD-40. I pray none of us will ever forget that or lose sight of the grace and love that provides it daily for us. Praise His Holy Name.

GPD 9/5/08