Refill Me.

08.14.10

Refill Me.  (Saturday Morning Reflections)

I love Saturday Mornings.  Typically, I'm the early riser in my castle... which means one thing:  "Alone time!"  

Don't get me wrong, I love people.  I'm a people person, for sure.  But there are definite times when recharging my batteries is the best way I can love others.  

My mentor once asked me, "If God has wired you with a physical/emotional mechanism that tells you when you are burnt out, doesn't it make sense that He would want you to respond to that accordingly?"  

It took me a few time so repeating that question in my mind to fully get what my mentor was telling me.  Essentially, he was saying that when I feel exhausted, I need to honor that as how God wired me and aim to rest.  

When we are absolutely "fried"... our tank is empty.  In the automotive world, this would be referred to as "the gas light's on!"

 

 On the pro-active side of that same equation, I need to build in times into my world that allow me to recharge, rejuvenate, and fill myself up so that I can be poured out.  

While I am a numbers geek and love driving my car past "E" to get the most out of each tank of gas, my wife takes a safer approach.  (have I mentioned she is an "S"?)... My wife will stop and fill a car's gas tank up when it gets below 1/4 tank!  She insures that she will NEVER run a tank dry while on the road by doing this.  ... a wise choice by God's standards.

I love this song by Matt Goss:

Overflow
   
(Verse)
Open my eyes so I can see Your glory
Open my ears to hear Your voice more clearly.
Open my heart Lord and let it beat with Yours
Beat with Yours.

Pre-Chorus)Fill me up so I can be poured out    
Fill me up so I can be poured out.
Fill me up 'til I overflow with You

(Pre-Chorus)
And overflow in me Jesus
Overflow in me
Pour Your Spirit out Jesus
And overflow in me

The greatest breakthrough for me...

a High-D, Type-A, Driver, Influencer, Entrepreneur, Innovator, Father, Son, Husband, Lover, Faux Maintenance Man, Business owner, Salesman, Leader, Speaker, Encourager, Mentor, Follower, .... whew!.....  "Put to many things on my plate sometimes-ER" 

...was when I discovered the mechanisms God built into me that refill my tank!  After all, what good is an empty gas tank for moving a vehicle? 

A few things God has taught me:

1.  Don't feel guilty for being intentional about filling your "tank" (guilt is not a Fruit of The Spirit-- SEE Galatians 5:22-23)

Galatians 5:22-23 (New International Version)

 ²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

2.  Build and establish boundaries, that promote a natural "schedule" in areas God asked me to prioritize:  God time, Family time, Think time, Serve time. (examples:  I allow only 2 breakfast appointments to enter my calendar per week.  My wife and I pre-book our date nights months out in advanced, to make love a top priority.  I don't take any phone calls past 5:00PM, usually... to not interrupt family time.)
 

3.  I've identified a few simple, easy things that recharge my tank.  They are:

-  exercising 30+ minutes per day

-  I listen to sermons and talks thru iPod in my car, more so than radio or music

-  SATURDAY MORNINGS are typically used for reflection on the previous week, and re-adjustments for the upcoming week's schedule.  

-  Reading scripture, daily.  What you put in is what you get out!

-  Reading books, to stimulate my mind, and grow intellectually.  

I praise God that He has wired me (and us) in such ways that we can fill our tanks up to be overflowing with love and effectiveness in the world's He's given us.  I also praise Him for giving us the warning signs (burnt out) when we exceed the energy boundaries He has set for us.   

What ways do YOU refill your "tank?"