I Ran Out Of Gas

Good morning…

Two weeks ago I ran out of gas. Completely embarrassed, I did not mention it to you before now. What almost-fifty-five-year-old runs out of gas? Then in the title of yesterday’s post, God sparked the word “fueled” and I remembered my recent experience of literally running out of fuel.

I had had one of those weeks. Drained by deep sorrow over a second suicide in two weeks and hearing the heart of my husband who gave both funeral messages. Hosting in our home a weeklong visitor from South Africa, a young woman we needed to feed, engage, and shuttle. This spring season is pregnant with so many ministry opportunities, I was spiritually stretched by all God is growing. Pouring out as a mom to both a sophomore son wrestling in the high school sectional tournament and a freshman daughter having parents’ weekend for her newly pledged sorority, I straddled extended drives in different directions. Having shared a fun breakfast with our two college-aged daughters then savoring time with a friend before her upcoming surgery, after driving to and from Athens for a second time in two days and before hosting a Super Bowl party for five foreign exchange teachers and their host families, I ran out of gas three miles from home, one mile from our local gas station.

“God, what do You have to teach me in the gap between physically running out of gas and receiving a morning message called Fueled To Overflow?” I prayerfully ponder. I’m absorbed in pondering your wise counsel (Psalm 119:23, MSG).

An old saying steps forward from the recesses of my mind: “We nurture from overflow, not from emptiness.” We can give and give and give when we are riding on empty, living on fumes. We can give and give and give when we are filled to overflowing. Emptiness drains everyone; overflow disseminates God’s love, God’s joy, God’s peace.

In the midst of life’s daily drive, we need to keep an eye on our own internal gas gauge. When our resources are running dangerously low, it is essential for us to refuel. Refueling requires time. Refueling requires self-awareness: “What would be restorative to me right now, LORD?” Refueling requires figuratively taking the nozzle from God’s bottomless pump and resting, receiving, refilling our tank full with the powerful Spirit of our living LORD. The spiritual discipline of refueling takes time and awareness, rest, receiving, refilling to full.