++++++++ February 22, 2008 ++++++++

      This week I had the misfortune of running out of gas on the Interstate. I was having such a good ride, there wasn't too much traffic, the rain had subsided, and beautiful worship music was coming from my car's speakers. Suddenly I looked down to see the needle on the left side of the Big E

Immediately I was jolted from my reverie and said to myself, "I've got to get off at the next exit and I do hope there's a gas station there. I never made it to the exit."

Pump the peddle as hard as I could, the engine died, dash board lights lit up, and soon I had coasted to the shoulder of the highway. So I got out, locked my laptop in the trunk,and started walking toward the exit with my back to the traffic and my left thumb in the air. Less than five minutes later an old rattle-trap construction van pulled over and stopped to wait for me.

Breathless from running, I climbed in and told the driver my plight; he took me to the station where I bought $5.00 worth of gas and left a $10.00 deposit for the can. As we're looping back around to get to where I had left my car, the driver said, "If you were young I would have passed you by, but I thought, 'You could be my pops' so I decided to stop and help."
The question is, why did I run out of gas?

That's easy. The problem was, my gas gauge was wrong - I just put gas in the day before; surely my gas gauge lied to me. Besides, I was pulling an extra load - my trailer behind me had a kitchen stove that I would be taking from one daughter's house to another daughter's house. And it was the music, the beautiful worship music that enraptured my soul - as my first pastor would say, "I had become so heavenly minded I was of no earthly use."
No, none of these excuses satisfy - I ran out of gas because I neglected to fill the tank in time - allowed myself to become distracted - I alone was responsible. And I must add, if I run out of gas spiritually, it is my responsibility.
Taken from "Spiritual Maturity". Click Here for the site. Click here to e-mail Gail
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