Understandably, my knee replacements have limited my activity for several weeks now, but today I just couldn’t resist the temptation to go outside and experience a little exercise and change of scenery.
I decided to cut some long logs into fireplace-sized sections that I would split later. As I put lubricating oil in the saw—which allows the sharp chain to slide along the bar smoothly—I noticed that it was flowing like molasses. This was not a big surprise, since the outside temperature was 24 degrees F (-4 C). When oil is this thick, its lubricating properties are diminished, so I couldn’t start the saw easily.
Rather than struggle with the process, I took the saw inside the house for an hour, to warm up while I occupied myself elsewhere. Upon my return, the oil had regained its desirable condition, and with a few pulls on the starting cord, the engine came alive.
When we first learn the principles of Real Love, often we find practical application difficult. Many people complain that love just “isn’t working” for them. Nah, they’re just struggling with the effects of the cold—past fears, judgments, and behaviors—and need to warm up a bit. They need to be around people who are loving, and in the process of receiving love and practicing the sharing of it, they find the principles more workable and effective—just as I discovered that a little warmth restored the favorable properties of my bar and chain oil.
