It was 4:05 A.M. Sunday morning December 5, 1993 when a phone call woke us from a sound sleep. The call was from our neighbor. “Would you please disengage your car alarm on your Toyota?” She asked. “Sammie,” I replied, “We do not have a car alarm on our Toyota.” To which Sammie replied, “Your horn has been blowing since 2:00 a.m. and we cannot sleep!” My wife and I got up, opened our bedroom door, walked down the hall, through the kitchen and opened our garage door. Sure enough, eeeeeeeeee! The Toyota was sitting in the drive with its horn ‘stuck’. I could not get it to stop, so I started the car and pulled it into our garage. Once inside the garage, it stopped! We never did figure out why the horn stuck that night!
As I thought on this event, several lessons came to mind.
1) We thought everything was okay, but it was NOT okay!
We went to bed that night with the doors locked, lights out, children in bed, thinking all is well. But all was not well! All of us have to be aware that we may be completely oblivious to an area of our lives that is not right. It may be something we are completely unaware of, but it is life a blaring horn to others!
2) Someone had to wake us up so we would know something was wrong!
That phone call at 4:00 a.m. certainly took some courage! Have you ever had a hair sticking up on your head? Blood on your collar from a cut while shaving? Or, (ladies) a run in your stocking? And no one ever told you about it? When you saw the problem in a mirror you probably were not happy that those close to you did not tell you of your ‘flaw’, Your home may not be right. Your attitude may not be right. Your marriage may not be right. Thank God if someone who loves you has the courage to tell you!
3) Once we were told about the problem, we had to do something about it!
I did not say okay to Sammie, and them roll over and go back to sleep! I HAD to do something. I HAD to correct the problem! When someone points out a problem area in your life, i.e. Marriage, attitude, work ethic, service for Christ etc. how do you respond? Do you say ‘thank you’ but then never do anything about it? If they had the courage to point out a problem area, you should have the courage to correct it.
4) When something is wrong in my life, it affects others.
The neighbors knew something was wrong before I did! If the husband is not right, the wife often sees it before the husband does. If the wife is not right, the husband will see it before the wife does. (Parents with children and children with parents work the same way.) I want you to know it as NOT COMFORTABLE doing something about my problem! It was 4:00 a.m. and it was in the 30’s outside! But I WANTED things to be RIGHT! So I went outside and pulled the car inside the garage to stop the horn from blowing.
Is your horn blowing? Have others tried to tell you about it and you ignored them? Have you listened, but then did nothing? Realize it just does not affect you but others also! Get up and correct the problem! Everyone will live happily and peacefully when you do.
by Stan Slabaugh
Original article can be found at http://articles.christianbaptists.com/Art/398/63/Is-Your-Horn-Blowing.html