I have special ignition key on my desktop. It has been there for a few weeks but I haven’t had a chance to try and start something. The key sits right under my desk lamp that has a fish shaped picture frame with a photo of my four sons from many years ago.
The key fits a 2010 John Deere lawn tractor. I’ll skip the rationalizations and just say I’ve always wanted a John Deere lawn tractor. I drove my last lawn tractor (a Sears Craftsman) until, quite literally, the wheels fell off! This John Deere will probably meet the same end a couple of decades from now.
What is peculiar about the key is that it is much more worn than the lawn tractor itself. The machine is several years old but the engine has less than 30 hours on it and the body is pristine. The key, on the other hand has many hundreds of hours on it. The dealer name is worn off the tab, the plastic is scratched and teeth show considerable wear. My guess is this was a special tractor for the previous owner. They mowed little grass but that key was always in their pocket. I imagine that several times each day they would reach in a pocket, find the plastic tab, run a thumb over the key teeth, and drop it back in the pocket next to a knife and a few coins. This ritual undoubtedly brought a sense of comfort and satisfaction.
I have a couple of things that give me satisfaction to touch and use; a Browning knife that I keep in my pocket, a collection of jazz and Celtic CDs, and my NIV Life Application Bible. I wore out one NIV Life Application Bible and I’m guessing this “new” Bible will be replaced in the next ten years or so.
There are some things I can’t physically touch that give me comfort and satisfaction as well. My faith and my growing understanding of how much God loves me. I try to touch that every day. No matter how bad the day develops I know God is there with me to sustain me. Other times I will I re-read a Psalms and share it with some trusted friends. For example, Psalm 141:5 is a pretty graphic reminder that we all need physical correction from good Godly and faithful friends from time to time. Having true friends who will give me a dope slap when needed is comforting – at least for me. That kind of trusting friendship is a “key” that I need to put in my pocket and touch several times each day. I call this passage my knucklehead scripture and I find it comforting.
We all need a touchstone that brings us back to our roots, our central pleasures and focus. For some that might come from a lawn tractor that we think about more than use, for some it is memorizing a scripture that gives us strength. I hope your well-worn key brings you peace as God intended.
In Christ,
Phil
