Righteously Tanked

I'VE GOT GAS!

"Thanks for sharing," you say, "but I honestly, really don't need to hear about the inner workings of your digestive tract just now. Best just to get the Pepto and keep quiet, eh?"

But you don't understand. I have to tell someone. It's like I just bought a new couch, or a new refrigerator, or new drapes or something!

IT'S A MAJOR PURCHASE.

It's come down to that. Sad though it may be, making that trek to QuikTrip to buy gasoline has become second only to the trip to the grocery store.

CAN I GET AN AMEN???

WAY back in the 70's, when I first started driving, we owned a huge, gigantic tanker of a car. A 1973 Plymouth Fury II. Metallic Brown on the outside, Harvest Gold on the inside. That thing would run over a herd of elephants and come out without a scratch. When I was sixteen, being as stupid as most teenagers can be, I decided to see exactly how fast it could go on a hilly side street by my house. Of course, I lost control of the car and ended up jumping a ditch and running into a woodpile...at 55 miles per hour. In a 25 miles per hour zone. One block from an elementary school. It was only by the grace of God I wasn't killed or didn't kill someone. The Tank? It was fine.

The Tank drank a LOT of gas. Back in the 70's we had what was then called an "energy crisis" and what they're now calling something else. Gas went up, and I found myself sorely limited on my Dairy Queen part-time earnings of $1.10 an hour. I vowed I would NEVER pay over $.59 a gallon for gas.

FAMOUS LAST WORDS.

Last night my husband, sweet thing that he is, filled up the car for me. My little thirteen gallon Tankette guzzled up over $35.00 worth of that nectar of the east. At a mere $2.96 per gallon in our part of the country, it's a steal. Which is what we might have to do in order to feed our habit.

My husband is hurt the most by all of this. Being a self-employed newspaper carrier, he has to supply not only his own vehicle, but the fuel as well. Because of this our income has diminished by a full third since prices have skyrocketed. Belts that were tight to begin with are now looped around us twice. Corners that were cut before have become flat edges. There's no more fat to trim.

In all of this God has been ever faithful. He's kept everyone healthy. We've never gone hungry. We've never gone without something we needed. We've always been blessed by just enough, just in time. Cars, appliances, and plumbing are all in working order. There have been no unexpected bills, and some we have expected have miraculously been paid already. God has provided. God continues to provide. God will provide.

And we are in awe of His goodness.

Philippians 4:4-7,
Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19
And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
New International Version © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society