Running on Empty

This past weekend I went out to Nebraska to visit my wonderful friends and family that are out there and to attend Union's graduation weekend. My brother took me to the airport and I noted that we were really low on gas and that in fact, the meter that shows how many miles you have left on the tank had zeroed out.

He said that it zeroed out when there were 30 miles left on the tank and that we would be fine getting to the airport. As we drove there, I wondered if I would make my flight or if we might be stranded by the road somewhere while my flight left without me. We made it to the airport and I told him that he lives a little too close to the edge. "I live on the edge of calculation." He stated and didn't seem a bit concerned.

The two flights to Nebraska were uneventful and soon I was in Omaha where my two cousins: Chris and Tony came and picked me up. As we pulled onto the highway, I

noticed that again I was seeing an empty tank and a glowing gas light on the dash. "Oh! Chris said, we should get gas..." The needle was well below the E and I turned to him and said: "You know E stands for EMPTY, right?" "Aw', Chris grunted, 'I just scooch down lower in my seat and then the needle kinda stays on the white line." "And how does that work for you?" I asked with growing concern that for the second time that day I stood in great danger of being stranded by the roadside.

"We need gas now!!!!!!" Chris yelled as we cut across all lanes of traffic and headed for the closest station. This proved to be far more dangerous than simply exhausting our store of fuel. Surviving Chris' erratic driving skills, we let out a collective sigh as we pulled into the gas station and fueled up.

It got me thinking...how often do I start my journey for the day, running on empty? How often do I act like I can "get by" without spending quality time fueling-up on God's Word or on my knees? Do I sit lower so that where I am at looks a bit better? Do I calculate just what I think I will need for the journey? I need to be far more concerned about how much effort I am contributing towards this soul-tank and what I am depending on to fuel my thoughts and my decisions. God, thanks again for these little life illustrations.