More than Enough!

I'm driving Ryan to the train station today enjoying a moment of time talking about what's happening in his world. I drop him off and begin the return trip. I look at the odometer and there's a message that also displays the miles left before your tank is empty. The display shows "41 miles to E".

Perfect, I think! It's 32 miles one way so when I arrive in Belvidere, I'll get gas. I merge onto I90 and start listening to the morning talk show host sharing the latest world news.

The sun is reflecting brightly off the fresh snow and once again I am reminded of how beautiful Illinois is. The news fades into the background as I let the blessings of my life wash over me and gratefulness fills my heart. I feel so full of joy and it seems as though I'll never be able fit one more blessing inside.

Then my emotions make a tremendous heart wrenching dive as I glance at that odometer again. WHAT? they scream!!! Only 15 miles of gas left in the tank! That can't be. I am just now approaching the Marengo exit and I've passed the last exit possible to leave the interstate. No way! Something is wrong!!

Now there is choking fear! What to do? I know, my husband who is at home and getting ready to take Vanessa to school, he needs to know about this. Right. You know how that goes. It was something like this.

"Hi, I'm just passing through the Marengo exit and the car ways I have 15 miles of gas left in the gas tank."

"Ok. How fast are you going?"

"I'm only driving 70."

"Well, slow down to 60. You'll get more miles that way."

"Ok. We'll see how this goes. I love you."

"Bye."

At this point, my heart is beating so fast I hear it. I feel like I'm choking and I am breathing in short gasps, trying to think my way out of this. You can't think your way out of running out of gas on I90 in 11 degree weather. Facts are facts, you are going to run out of gas. It's just a matter of when. Make the best of it, Seibold!

So now I start praying. God, please, don't let me run out of gas. I've never run out of gas before Lord and today's not the day I wanted to have this experience. (breathe, gasp) Really Lord, please, I'm serious. I need you to help me out of this. I don't have blankets. I can't be stranded.

Ok, get your mind off of this situation. Turn up the radio loud. NO! Don't look at the odometer. You talked to God about. Either he'll deliver you or he won't. Turn up the radio louder. Not working.

I've never felt doubt, fear and a desire to believe in a miracle fight so hard to dominate one another. I truly am breathing in tiny gasps talking to myself in my head.

Then, I hear Bro. Jason's Sciscoe's message from last night. It's just the memory I need to remind me that I've GOT to have faith. It's time I start using what I have. Now's the time to believe. So now God's talking to me overtime.

Pharaohs army is pounding out a staccato that's equal to the fear in a mother's heart. Her escape from slavery was so short lived it's as though it was just a dream. This can't be happening to her and her family. The Red Sea is impassable! They'll never make it across before this army catches up to them.

The woman with the cruise of oil and a little flour is standing at the cabinet mixing well, getting ready to put the her last meal in the oven. The prophet interrupts her and requests that meal for himself. Fear engulfs her mind and she must make a life changing decision. Feed the prophet and trust his word that she'll never go without food or tell him to get lost.

Ok, so I'm over-reacting. My situation is not life-threatening but to me at that very moment it is my deepest fear. It is my doubt. It is my impossible situation. It it personal, folks! At that moment, I look at my odometer again. "4 miles to E." I am at Anthony Road. No way am I making it to Belvidere without running out of gas.

Right there and then I decided if I run out of gas, then I run out of gas, but I am not, NOT, going to get upset. If, on the other hand, God decides to answer my cry for help, then WOW what a story! So I decide to do what all good Christians everywhere do. Believe, right?

No! FIGHT!! Battle it out between my two ears!! Believe for the incredible? Accept the physical facts? Believe for the incredible? Accept the physical facts and make the best of a bad situation?

I chose to believe! I decide to start praising!! That's how to fight fear, doubt, worry, and physical facts. It starts in my mind. Thank you Lord for providing for our every need. Thank you Lord of caring about me just like I care about my children. (gasp, doubt,choke) Louder....in my mind......Lord you are the God of the Old Testament. Jesus, you are the Savior of the world! (glance at the odometer) YIKES!! Oh my Word!!! "1 mile to E" Car's running fine.

Ok, be reasonable! Get real! I start looking for the mile marker so I can tell the emergency road side service people where to find me. Then a total righteous rebellion of the mind occurs. I AM NOT RUNNING OUT OF GAS. I REFUSE TO RUN OUT OF GAS. IF GOD CAN DO ANYTHING, HE CAN DO THIS FOR ME. NOTHING IS TOO HARD FOR GOD!

Now I'm praising God out loud! I'm thanking him for everything in sight. The snow because there will be plenty of water this summer. The sun for shining and providing light and vitamin D. Yeah, vitamin D will help me lose weight and increase my wellness percentage.

And all of a sudden fear and doubt turns to excited belief that in my small world today, because I am a child of the most high God, I will not run out of gas. God is my provider and I will make it to the WalMart gas station and furthermore I will not putt, putt, choke, shake, putt, putt, NO! I am going to drive up like I have a full tank! I am claiming it and speaking it as though it has already come to pass.

I'm singing and praising at the top of my lungs driving 50 mph on I90. People are driving by and I'm smiling out my window at them. You know, one of those "I'm having a great day toothy smiles" so they wonder what in the world I am doing. I can hear them......Crazy lady! Hazardous driver! Take Highway 20 next time, jerk!

All the while, they're missing the greatest miracle of February fourth two-thousand and eleven. You got it. I arrived at WalMart just like my faith said I would. Like I had a full tank of gas. I even sat there with the car on while I put on my gloves and zipped up my coat, got my debit card out, popped open the trunk to get out the gas tank stuff for cold weather, put on my chap stick, and then I turned off the car, got out and put physical gas in my tank.

Now I'm still praising out loud. I didn't even realize it was still happening. I'm still talking to God. Tears of joy are coursing down my cheeks and I'm thanking God because he's more than enough! Next thing I know, I'm dancing a bit as I pump the gas. I think I may have done one of those tricky moon walking steps as I put things back together and get back in my car.

Don't try to tell me that God doesn't care about the little things in your life. Yes, I should have planned better and I should have never even let the gas tank get below 1/2 tank in this kind of weather. Yes, I should have put gas in the tank when I saw it said "41 miles to E." Yes, yes, yes!! BUT today God loved me so much he provided a miracle for dumb little me. He let me exercise that little bit of faith inside mixed with the offensive weapon of praise and proved that he cares about me. He loves ME!! He will supply ALL my needs.

Guess what I know? I am going to go through my next "crises" better than this one. I know there is going to be a day in the very near future, when the "crises" is going to be a little bigger and I'm going to say to myself.... "Lord, I remember when you cared enough to extend my gas mileage when my gas tank was empty. If you can do that, then I know you can be more than enough in this situation too."

Hey, you should try this thing out! It works!