Stranded. I was sitting by the side of the road in my old, beat up Plymouth Duster, and it refused to move another inch. No amount of key-turning or tire-kicking would bring that stubborn car back to life. The baby was crying, the errands were undone and there I sat, completely stranded.

“I knew this car was ready for the junk heap,” I muttered as I gathered up my meager possessions, slung the baby on my hip and prepared to hunt for the nearest pay phone. (Ah, do you remember the days when we didn’t have cell phones? I think the dinosaurs roamed the earth about that same time. But I digress.)

An hour later my husband arrived, raised the hood of the car, scrutinized its mysterious parts and made the grand pronouncement, “It’s out of gas.”

Hmmmm, maybe I was the one who was ready for the junk heap.

Have you ever been too busy to stop and put gas in your car? Let me save you a trip to the mechanic. Cars don’t work when the fuel tank runs dry.

And that same principle holds true for you and I as well.

Out of Love

Remember that day when you ran out of love before the sun went down? You liberally poured out love as your family woke up. You put together lunches, made the beds, fed the dog, broke up a few fist fights and still managed to put the kids on the school bus after you chased it down the road. It took a lot of love but you pulled it all off with a smile on your face.

Then, you rushed back home, took a shower, put on a suit, endured the long commute and rushed into the morning meeting only five minutes late. EVERYONE needed love that day. The boss was cranky, your coworkers were demanding and the customers couldn’t be pleased no matter what you did. You gave and gave and gave until your love tank was almost dry. But you made it through the day, and that’s all that counts.

Relieved, you drove back home, made dinner, set the table, walked the dog, checked the kid’s homework and collapsed into your chair. Praise the Lord. It was finally time to relax and enjoy the simple pleasures of hearth and home. And just in time, your love cup was almost dry.

And then it happened. The kids spilled the milk, your husband complained about the food, the telemarketer called and then the dog threw up.

Stranded. There you stood in the middle of the kitchen, your hand reaching for the phone and you suddenly realized that you’d run dry. Nothing short of the rapture could prevent the eruption of negativity that was about to spew from your mouth. Your love cup was dry, and you had absolutely nothing left to give.

While the details may vary, we have all had days like that. A lot of days like that. Somehow, in this crazy-busy world the day seems to last longer than the love we are supposed to give. Yet, the commandment of Jesus’ still stands,

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:12 -13

How in the world can we lay down our lives for one another when we can’t even make it through the day? Where does that kind of love come from? I want to know, and so do you.

You’re Invited

This fall, I am inviting you to join me, in person or online, in a study of ‘Contagious Love’ from the book of I John. There we will learn about a love that never runs dry. A love so vast that it not only fills our own love cup but it overflows and spills out on everyone we meet.

You can find the details here: Contagious Love

Are you too busy to do this? I am too, until I think back to what happens when I let my love tank run dry. Then I realize that there’s no place I’d rather be.

I hope you will join me.