Fill 'er up

I was enjoying an incredibly long ride along the back highways of northern Florida. XM radio blaring a tune from the 80's, sun shining, sunglasses perched on my long nose, pulse rate around fifty-eight...
My lazy puppy dog eyes drifted toward the dashboard and there it was staring at me, mocking me, yelling at me, "You idiot! Can you not see me shining my bright little icon at you?!"

I was running out of gas!
The radio still blared, the sun was still shining, the sunglasses did not move from their perch but... my pulse rate soared as I panicked thinking, "How long had the 'almost empty' light been on?" And by the way, "Where in the world was I? Where was the nearest town? Would I make it to the next service station? Would I be stranded on the side of the road only to be attacked by swampy alligators?"

The next town, the next service station arrived within minutes and with deep relaxing breaths I eased my rental car next to pump number 5. I hopped out with a little extra skip in my step. I popped open the gas tank, swiped my credit card, chose the 87 octane, squeezed the handle and began filling 'er up.

Within no time the pump made that halting sound alerting me that the tank was full.
I replaced the handle on the pump looked at the "total" and was taken aback at what I saw.
I had only put in $50 worth of gas. The tank was only about three quarters full.
And then it hit me...$50 worth of gas was the maximum amount of fuel this pump was allowed to expend at one time.

I protested under my breath!
I need more than $50 worth of gas to fill 'er up!

My iWitness...

Two competing thoughts struck me regarding "fill 'er up."

There are many days when I am running on empty trying to squeeze out an extra mile or two on spiritual fumes and reserves. The warning light has made itself known that it is time to pull over and get refueled but I love to push the envelope and see just how far I can go before my gas tank is completely empty. Believe me when I say that I have been stranded many times because I didn't heed the warning sign.

Nonetheless, the times I have pulled over to get spiritually refueled, I have looked at God and said, "Fill 'er up!" And within minutes or hours or days I look at the pump only to discover that God has not filled me up. Rather, God has given me just enough gas to make it to the next town, the next service station. Of course this makes me more dependent on God to make more frequent stops than I had planned to be refueled with His grace, mercy and love.

On the flip side, how many times has God been ready to dispense a whole tank load of His grace, mercy and love on us and $50 into the refueling process we say, "That's enough God. I don't need anymore. I've got to go, places to be, people to see."

And off we dart with half a tank while God is left holding the handle saying, "But I have so much more to offer. Why are you so satisfied with so little when I was ready to fill 'er up!"

And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, ²⁰ giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ..." (Ephesians 5. 18-20)