My husband has a friend who said something very interesting the other night during a witness talk. He was telling a story about how he used to habitually run out of gas. It became such a problem that he purchased a plastic gas container for those instances when he failed to fill up the tank.
One day he got some advice from a friend who said, “You know, it costs just as much to keep it full as it does to keep it just above empty.” He applied this lesson to how we are to live our life with Christ.
As I listened to his words I asked myself these questions: “Have you let your ‘spiritual tank’ run down to empty? Are you feeling drained because you’ve used the Rosary for that quick $5 fill-up, only to be back on fumes a day or two later?”
The answer was yes to both questions. I was running on fumes. I wasn’t studying God’s Word. My prayer life was not consistent. I hadn’t spent any time in front of the Blessed Sacrament. And I kept trying to do everything within my power to keep myself joyful as I took care of my family and household duties. I was doing everything through my own power, and the way I re-energized was as human and worldly as it gets: binge-watching “Person of Interest” and taking a shot or two of whiskey every night to calm my frazzled nerves. And the result? My soul was sick. And tired.
After hearing this man’s testimony, I decided to take his words to heart. Over the next week I made an effort to get back to what I knew would fill my tank: Jesus. Two times a week I stopped by the Blessed Sacrament chapel. It may have only been for two minutes, because my two under three were getting into the votive candles and disrupting the women who were quietly praying their rosaries, but my efforts were rewarded in the form of a firehose of grace to my soul. Then my family attended a special-needs Mass at our church and supported a friend who has given years of her time, talent, and treasure to these amazing people. God was bringing me closer to Him and closer to His community. I could feel my tank filling. My bones were filled with Jeremiah’s fire. I desired the Rosary. I desired time with Christ. I desired to love Him and to let Him put my life back in order.
Friends, we’re all in over our heads. We have schedules that leave us falling into bed at night wondering how we’re going to make it through the next day. Teacher Appreciation Week, graduations, Confirmations, first Holy Communions, class picnics … the list goes on and on. Let’s make it a priority this month to focus on Who gave us this life and to let everything fall into place because we put Him first.
What ways can you make Christ a priority? How will you allow Him to fill your tank?
Copyright 2019 Kelly Tallent
Image Copyright: Pixabay.com (2012), CC0/PD
This article was originally published at CatholicMom.com and is shared here with permission.
