OutAGas

I’ve only allowed myself to run out of gas in a vehicle on a couple of occasions (fortunately).  When it has happened I’ve been extremely irritated at myself because I let it happen in the first place.  It’s not like “running empty” sneaks up on you or that it takes some kind of effort to monitor.  The gas gauge is right there before our eyes.  It is easy to see “empty” coming up.

The most inconveniencing thing about letting ourselves “run out of gas” is the amount of time/effort/expense associated with getting refueled.  Phone calls have to be made, friends or family inconvenienced, roadside service procured, gas cans carried down the road, judgmental looks from passersby absorbed, etc.  All because we were too busy to refuel when we were running low.

Seems to me the same thing happens to us spiritually, emotionally, intellectually, and physically.  We can tell, usually through a variety of  “gas gauges,” when we are depleted.  It’s not like it sneaks up on us.  And, it’s not like we can keep going when we have depleted ourselves (just like the car can’t keep going when it runs out of gas). 

And, just as in the vehicle analogy, there is huge time/effort/expense associated to the corrective action(s) associated with letting ourselves “run dry.”  Lost productivity, damaged relationships, poor performance, loss of bearing, compromised health, brain fog, even hospitalization can be the effects of letting ourselves “run out of gas.”

So, what is your "gas gauge" telling you right now?