Running on Fumes

 

I distinctly remember a time when as a teenager, I was riding around with a friend of mine who had a Volkswagen Beetle and we apparently were literally driving on fumes. I noticed my friend was swaying back and forth between lanes on our side of the road and I inquired about what he was doing, to which he replied that we were about to run out of gas and he was trying to slosh the gas in the tank back and forth to assure every last drop made it to the fuel line. We did make it to the next gas station, but that instance of fear that we might end up running out of petro has always stuck in my mind. As a matter of fact, I had a similar situation this weekend which is the reason today's Flat Tire Thought is titled, "Running on Fumes". 

 

I normally don't allow my tank to get dangerously low, yet Friday evening was a busy one and when I finally rolled in to the drive at our house, the low fuel light was glaring at me and the mileage range total was sitting at 14 miles. I made a mental note that I would have to get fuel first thing Saturday morning as I started my day. The next day, with a full schedule in front of me, I backed down our drive and on with my journey I went. I had parked the car on a sloped portion of our driveway which must have altered my mileage range total, because as I looked down at the dash what I saw glaring back at me was a big "0" for how many miles I had to go before I would run out of gas. The closet gas station to our house is probably four to five miles away which would have been fine for the "14" miles shown while I was sitting more vertically in our drive, but now "0" miles did not leave room to wonder if I was going to make it or if I would be walking to the station gas can in tow. Immediate flashback to my childhood VW incident, yet to myself I was thinking how would attempting to slosh the gas to the gas line actually work if there was no fuel in the tank? So, what did I proceed to do? Out of fear I began driving faster so I could make it to the pumps before my Rav4 clugged and shut down due to no fuel. In my mind I was thinking surely Toyota designed the range finder feature with people like me who find themselves in a similar situation. Surely, that "0" has a safety net included that gives me just a little more in the tank than the glaring "0" showed. My attention momentarily shifted to the speedometer which showed I was vastly exceeding the speed limit, which would ultimately have a negative impact on my non-existent fuel mileage anyway. Yet, in my mind the only thing I could think about was I had to hurry and get to the station before I run out of gas. The ending to this story is for all practical purposes anti-climactic, but there was a harrowing cliff hanger moment when I wound up sitting on an incline at a red light which was literally all of 500 yards away from the gas station. I kept waiting for the mileage range signal to roll over to "-1", but the light changed colors and miraculously I pulled in to the pumps and filled the tank to the top. 

 

The big question today is why did I start driving faster when I realized I was about out of fuel? Simple answer, fear. In my moment of fear, my mind was frantic and worried because I had to get to my destination without delay. I allowed the fear of running out of gas to rule my decision-making process, which relying on my own intuition most certainly made the possibility of actually running out of gas more of a realistic possibility. It only stands to reason, which I later verified, that the faster you drive the more fuel your car will consume. That means in a car that shows no gas in the tank, if you pick up your speed you will utilize more fuel from your tank.

 

How do you respond when your anxiety levels hit turbo? Do you hit the cruise control or do you respond by kicking your mind and body into high gear reaction mode? God's word guides us to experience Him when we face adversity or fear. "Peace be still and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10 is what God says to each of us in our anxious trials and tribulations of life. Instead of charging forward when we face adversity, God says slow down and come to Him. God is our roadside assistance when we face highway hazards and empty tank experiences. Trusting in God means we don't have to speed up to take care of the situation on our own, instead we slow down, listen for God through prayer and meditation, believing that God will direct our steps as His plan for our lives unfolds. 

 

Hopefully, you won't ever be faced with a zero miles left alert in your automobile, although it is almost certain you have just moved on from, entering into, or facing a potential sort of life altering situation. Instead of speeding into a "I've got to fix this" or "I'm doomed" mindset remember that God is there, He will give you peace and He will guide your plans. 

Coach Carter