Fill 'er up!

How insane are the gas prices in this country today? I cringe every time I go to the pump to fill up - and it doesn't matter if you are filling up at QuikTrip, Shell or Sam's Club - the prices are still ridiculous! [and I hear that internationally, it ain't no better!] When my mom retired last year, she "treated" herself by purchasing a new car. God blessed her (and indirectly, me and my brother) with an Infiniti I35, fully loaded - the car is SWEEEEET! But it also is a gas guzzler that demands a higher grade of gas than we were used to putting into the Honda that we drove before. So, where before it would take $20 to fill the tank - this new car laughs (out loud and long) at the mere thought of $20. Literally, $20 puts 5 gallons of gas in an 18(?) gallon tank car. I don't know how many gallons our tank is because we have made it our practice not to let the gauge drop below half a tank. I cringe every time I pull up to a pump and see that the person before me spent $50 or $75 or even $100 to put gas in their car. AND YET, you rarely drive by a gas station that doesn't have cars at the pumps, filling up - or at least putting enough gas in the tank to get to the next destination.

Last night, as I attended mid-week prayer service, our local elder made the analogy that mid-week prayer service was like a pit stop at the gas station as we "drive" down life's road. In today's world, it is difficult to go from Sabbath to Sabbath (or Sunday to Sunday) without taking some time out to "pull over and refuel" by studying God's Word - and it truly is better in the company of the saints who are like-minded in study, prayer and testimony. It is so easy to make excuses about why this communion during the middle of the week is not important: "I'm tired, I had a long day at work" or "Shoot, do you know how much gas I will use driving to church?" or any other myriad of excuses. I know, I've made them. There have been times that I have been "forced" to go to prayer meeting and was resentful during the whole drive to the church - only to be blessed beyond belief by a testimony or the lesson study or the smile on someone's face who greeted me at the church. [Sidebar: A special shout out to Sherry and Racquelle (I sure hope I am spelling this name correctly) who blessed me last night with their enthusiastic greetings of welcome as I came into the church. You will never know the good it did my soul. Thank you for letting God use you to minister to my soul in that small, tangible way.]

Ok, where was I? Oh yeah...I invite you to take the time to stop and refuel with the Lord. Whether you find yourself in a church building at a meeting, or just at home in private study - don't go seven days without meeting with Him. He has blessings for you untold that are there just for the taking. And believe me, we all need blessings. And not only do we need to receive blessings - we need to be blessings to those we come in contact with. As Sherry and Racquelle blessed me with their greetings, and my prayer partner, Bridget, blessed me and my mother with her prayer for us - you can bless someone with a kind word, or a smile, or a hug. You never know what someone is going through and how that simple kindness can give them what they need to make it to the next step. Just something to think about.

Be blessed.