Dad and WD-40

WD-40_® was invented in 1953 as a “rust prevention solvent and degreaser,” initially for the aerospace industry. By the 1970s, it became a household must-have for mechanical jobs of any kind.

My dad loved working with his hands. He tinkered with our cars, either going at it with the hood up or by crawling underneath. Space was made for his work bench and tool box in the garage to meet the demands of auto and household repair. He gave attention to detail.

When WD-40_® became available for home use, dad had the little blue and yellow can with a thin red tube (for tricky-to-reach places), on a shelf in the garage. It was ready for use at a moment’s notice.

The most impressive time I saw my dad’s hands using WD-40_® was after I was married and we had our first two children. My husband and I used a “ready-to-retire” washing machine left behind by former renters, just to get us by. With two toddlers still in training, the washing machine got a good workout. Then one day, it just quit.

When dad found out about our dilemma, he rushed over to the house. He and my husband went to the garage to peruse the situation, while I kept our girls occupied inside. Finally, I went out to check on the guys. There on the garage floor was every internal part of the washing machine laid out in order. Dad was using, you guessed it, WD-40_® to meticulously clean each part. I went back inside the house. This was going to take a while.

Finally, my husband came in saying, “You’re not going to believe this! The washing machine’s working!” After cleaning every part, and oiling it with WD-40_®, dad carefully reinstalled each moving piece, then turned on the washing machine. It immediately began filling the tub with water! The washing machine continued to work another couple of years, until we could buy a new one.

Years later, God brought that amazing picture to mind of seeing all the dysfunctional washing machine parts laid out on our garage floor. He showed me how the internal pieces of who we are can become dysfunctional, and just shut down. God uses His Holy Spirit to meticulously clean us up. He gives attention to detail, if we’re willing to wait for Him to finish the process. Then He anoints each part of our inmost being – our mind, emotions, intellect, will – so that we can function, whole and complete.

God uses Holy Spirit’s anointing properties as the WD-40_® formula to keep me going, running smoothly, not rusting out, or shutting down. Thanks, dad! Thank You, Father!

Psalm 92:10 TPT

Your anointing has made me strong and mighty. You’ve empowered my life for triumph by pouring fresh oil over me.

NOTE from The Passion Translation: The Septuagint reads “. . . and in my old age I will still have plenty of oil [anointing].”