Out of gas

"O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water" (Psalm 63:1 NIV).

Did you know that motorcycles don’t have gas gauges?

Last Saturday afternoon I took my new bike out for a ride in the country. I really needed to get out and clear my head after a very busy week. I’ve found that riding my Honda down some two-laned road can really do the trick. I can see and smell the world as it passes by. I feel the wind on my face. It’s good.

But it’s not so good when the bike starts sputtering and stalling out in the middle of nowhere. One minute I was going 50, the next I was coasting and looking for a place to pull over. Have you ever noticed that most country roads don’t have a decent shoulder for you to pull off?

As the hum of the motor was replaced by the sound of the bike’s tires coasting down the road, I noticed a car riding right on top of me in my rear view. At the same time I was desperately trying to shift the gas lever below the tank from "on" to "reserve." But to no avail. The motor wouldn’t reignite. I had to find a place to land.

I stood alone on the side of the road next to my quiet bike (the car riding my bumper never even paused as they accelerated past). I tried to start it several times, but it obviously wasn’t getting any fuel.  I took off my helmet and gloves and reached for my cell phone. I hated to admit it. But I was going to have to call for help.

Before I called I thought what if it’s not the gas? I’ve already switched to reserve and it still won’t start. Maybe, I should wait a little longer. Maybe it takes awhile for the gas to get from the reserve tank to the engine.

I was right. After about a five minute (seemed longer) wait, the motor started right up. I put my gear back on and headed home, determined to never let my bike run out of gas again. I was glad I had reserve fuel to get me to the gas station, but I really didn’t want to have to use the reserve ever again. It’s too scary being on the highway when you lose all power.

After filling up, I decided to start setting the odometer to zero. Motorcycles don’t have fuel gauges, but they do have odometers. By thinking back to the last time I had gased up, I was able to compute that my bike could go about 130 miles on a tank of gas.

"Now," I told myself. "I will remember to get gas way before that odometer hits anywhere near 130 miles!"

The human soul has something in common with motorcycles. The soul has no fuel gauge, but it does have an odometer. It’s called the week. And every seven days God has told us that we need rest. We need a Sabbath.

We don’t know that our souls are on empty until they start sputtering and running out of power. But we can start watching our spiritual odometers. We can start recognizing the need of our souls for weekly nourishment and rest that only God can give.

That’s why the Psalmist David said, "My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him" (Psalm 62:1 NIV).

See you at the gas station… this Sunday. Don’t wait. You might already be on "reserve."