Chaplain’s Corner- May, 2013
People have different theories about when to fill the car with gas. If you ask my wife, she will tell you that I make a habit of coasting into the gas station on fumes. I know that you have a hard time feeling much sympathy for anyone who runs out of gas because they let the tank get that low. But did you know that people have emotional gas tanks? In fact many adults are suffering from the effects of an empty emotional gas tank. As hard as we might try, we can’t escape the fact that giving and giving without receiving some nurturing ourselves is not possible or healthy. Just like our cars break down or stop without gas and maintenance, so can human beings. Just like many of our cars (or smart phones) have GPS that help us locate gas stations, our emotions are a GPS system that lets us know when we need to refuel. Some of the common signs of running low or on fumes can be increased crabbiness, lack of energy, being short-tempered, eating and drinking more sugary, caffeinated substances to keep going, and losing patience more quickly than usual.
If you are noticing this in yourself, you might wonder if your emotional tank needs some filling. This could be a simple as a few hours to yourself, a long hot bath, some time with your significant other, or some quiet prayer time. It can be as complex as re-evaluating your job, the amount of activities you or your children are involved in, or commitments you are making that you really don’t want to make.
With summer approaching, people are making travel arrangements, and if they are going by car, they are making sure the car has a full tank of gas. At the same time it might be helpful to look at your own emotional tank. What might you need to do to refill it or keep it filled so that you can navigate the expected and unexpected events without running out of emotional gas?
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