Empty

I really dislike going grocery shopping. The crowds, the chaos and the fact that I usually shell out a few hundred dollars every time I go. I dislike it so much that I will push it to the back of my to do list and wait until there is too drops of milk left in the gallon and we are digging for the last pack of ramen in the back of the cupboard. With 3 teenagers in my home it seems like the cupboards and the refrigerator are always empty, along with their bottomless tummies.

Once the shelves are full again and the refrigerator doors will barely close, a herd of children followed by my husband come running in and devour everything in sight, as if I haven’t fed them in weeks.

But I guess that is just the way life works. We are going along and we feel pretty good. The tank is almost full. Then the phone rings and a friend need our help, and then our child walks through the door and is devastated because of unkind words thrown her way. Then you look in the kitchen and there is a looming tower of dishes, and suddenly you feel empty.

We pour out our time and energy into others, we serve our families, we are there for our friends, we serve our church and our community, we give our best at our jobs, and let’s not forget the never-ending mountain of laundry. If we are not careful, all of this pouring out can leave us feeling drained and empty.

The prophet Elijah was instructed by God to go to the village Zarephath and search for a widow and she would feed him. When he approached the gate of the village, he saw a widow collecting sticks for a fire. He approached her and asked her for a drink of water, as the widow turns to grab him a drink, he asks her “bring me a bite of bread too”.

'But she said, “I swear by the Lord your God that I don’t have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die.”' (1 Kings 17:12)

Can you imagine the emptiness this woman felt? To know that she only had enough food left for one last meal for her child and no means to provide another. She must have been filled with despair knowing that she and her son would starve to death. I know there have been times when money was tight and we had to make some interesting dinners toward the end of the month, but I have never known the desperation of knowing my child had no food to eat and was going to starve.

But because we serve an amazing and wonderful God who knows our every need, the story gets good…

'But Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid! Go ahead and do just what you’ve said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use what’s left to prepare a meal for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the Lord sends rain and the crops grow again!” So, she did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah and her family continued to eat for many days. There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah.' (1 Kings 17:13-16)

Did you catch that, Elijah and her family continued to eat for many days? That’s right, she invited him to stay with her and her son. She could have laughed at him and walked away when he told here to make him some bread first and then her pot would never go empty. In fact, we can even assume from her response in verse 12 when she says, “I swear by the Lord your God” that she didn’t not even believe in Elijah’s God. But she chose to have faith anyway.

Do you have faith like the widow of Zarephath? When money is tight, when the car breaks down, when health issues arise; do you hold tight to God’s promises of provision and peace? Or do you, like I often tend to do, become worried, stressed and you allow the feelings of emptiness to overwhelm you?

There are so many ways that we can refill our tanks, maybe for some of you it’s reading a book, or relaxing in a bubble bath, taking a long walk or listening to worship music. Whatever your method of refueling is, the things of this life will continue to drain the tank. There will always be something on your to-do list that leaves you feeling drained, but nothing can refill your tank better than spending time in prayer and building your relationship with Christ.

The busier that life gets and the emptier we feel, the less time we spend allowing God to fill us up. The times when we need God the most are often the times when we push Him to the back burner, because we are too busy.

I would challenge you this week, that in the moments that you feel your tank is almost empty, you are tired, stressed, frustrated or frazzled; to take a few moments to reconnect with God. Allow God to fill you with His peace and understanding and surrender all the big stuff to Him. Remember you can only control the things you can control, give the rest to Him step back and allow Him to work.