Running on E

So I have 2 confessions to share that I am not proud of. The first is that I always let my jeep liberty run on E for at least 3 days. Sometimes more. I have been fortunate enough to not ever run out of gas (though I think that would be quite the adventure). My second confession is that this past week and a half of my life, I have been running on E myself, and it’s been far too long. I’ve finally run out.
 
I’m not happy to admit that I am “running on empty,” but it’s the truth. There have been a few events that have led to this “drainage.”  (They are absolutely not excuses, just sequential events of my week, causing me to stumble).

1. First, I got into a car accident last Wednesday. This is what started it all.  I hadn’t ever been in an accident before this. Oh, and did I mention it was my fault? I rear-ended someone. More damage was done to my jeepers  (named Mike Wazowski) than the other girl’s vehicle. This incident proved to be way more stressful than I imagined. I had to find rides to and from work, start coming up with money for the deductible I have to pay, and worry about an increase in my insurance happening. I was so mad at myself. 
2. Second, my roommate Danielle and I are slightly incapable girls sometimes. I am pretty sure we should be on a reality TV show, because it can occasionally be amusing. Last week, amidst the car accident, the weather was extremely hot. Danielle and I have absolutely no clue how to cool our house. We are [mostly] sure that we have a swamp cooler, but we have no idea how to work it (if you are a boy reading this who is friends with Dani and/or me and would love to assist two “damsels in distress,” please let me know). Then, three days ago, our hot water went out for absolutely no reason! It’s the weirdest thing ever. Let’s just say, we aren’t fond of taking cold showers. We looked at the water heater, but don’t really know what to do with it. (Again, if you are a boy willing to assist two helpless females, please let me know ASAP). 
3. Last week, I decided to pick up extra shifts, though I was already scheduled full time. This was not the best idea, and I probably won’t do it again. I worked 50 hours, which may not seem like a lot, but considering how late I worked, and how early I returned to work, exhaustion kicked in pretty quickly. Then comes another problem- not being able to sleep. It’s been annoying not being able to sleep until 4 in the morning.

 
From the bottom, once I had “ran out, on E” I see God present through it all. In my car accident, He kept both me and the other girl safe. And He tried to remind me of the fact that I am fully covered and have only a deductible to pay, instead of a huge sum for the damage. And He smiled as He let me drive around the coolest rental car ever! (I love it, but don’t tell Mike Wazowski).  Within the issues in our house, He is teaching me that my problems are insignificant in comparison to other problems in the world. There are people in the world facing issues with health, danger, starvation, homelessness, and worst of all- an eternal death. The small “problems” in our home are so minor. And in all honesty, I think that my current house conditions are preparing me for the World Race. I am 101% sure that I will be placed in a house without air conditioning on a hot day at least once and that I will have to take a cold shower at least twice. At least. And the exhaustion and work, well, it’s what I do. I do it to myself often. I take matters into my own hands. I needed money, so I worked 50 hours. This is NOT what God wants me to do! God wants me to rely on Him ONLY! He is my provider and it doesn’t matter how much I work. This past week, I took matters into my own hands instead of letting go and placing my faith in God completely.
 
Bottom line–> Satan siphoned my gas. He took advantage of my emotions and the recent events to break me down. So here I am. On E. After a week and a half of drainage.
 
I will not let this happen again. I am leaving for vacation tomorrow to Long Island, New York for a family reunion. It was last minute, and I had mixed feelings about going. I was very excited to see my family that I hadn’t seen in years, but I was also nervous to take a whole week and a half off work. Now, I realized that this vacation is so much more than a “vacation.” I am going to fuel up again, and this time, stay fueled. I will have a ton of time to do absolutely nothing but spend time with God. It’s all I want. Aside from the few family events, I won’t have to go to work or worry about any other priorities. I am stepping out of my daily routine to read my Bible on the beach for 9 days straight. Just me, God and His beautiful creations.
 

Along with not letting myself get to E again, once Mike Wazowski is fixed, I will no longer subject him to such poor treatment. He will always be full before he is ever empty 🙂
 
Also, I know that this was an analogy, but just throwing this out there that if I really were a vehicle, I’d be a purple jeep wrangler. In case you're wondering 😉