STRETCHING THE GAS

A few years ago I rode one of my motorcycles

out to the west coast to visit with my kids. This

particular motorcycle has only a five gallon gas

tank on it. It's not like that land yacht you drive

around town with a huge gas tank. With only

five gallons you learn to measure out your gas

stops, and often. So I worked on about

one hundred and fifty miles between gas stops.

This gave me a margin of safety.

I left the Ozarks the last day of February. So

it would have been the first day of march that I

was out in west Texas. It was a Sunday afternoon.

In that part of Texas it can be a loooooong way

between towns, and the wind was blowing like

crazy. When I went through Pecos on Hwy 20,

it was so windy I had to lean the bike into the

wind just to stay on the road. Now if you drive

anything other than a golf cart, you know that

can be real hard on gas mileage.

I was getting low on gas. But seeing a sign that

another town was only about fifteen miles or so

ahead, I decided to push on to it. That would

leave me a little extra gas for that real long

stretch coming up.

When I pulled into that little town I found two

gas stations. One was boarded up. The other

was locked up. Ouch.

So I pulled back up onto the Hwy. looking for

a sign to see how far to the next town. Ninety

miles - almost out of gas, and no place to turn

around.

By now I was praying at about the same pace

I was breathing. I needed to go back to Pecos.

But could I make it?

The Lord let me see a small side road that went

back to the last small town. Then He let me find

a place where I could ride on the dirt over to that

small road.

As I was returning on that small road I noticed

something. The sun had come out. AND the wind

had quit blowing. Praise God. So I continued to

ease - as in eeeeease very carefully - back to the

small town and back up onto the return side of

Hwy 20.

All the way back to Pecos the sun shone. There

was absolutely no wind. It made a beautiful

Sunday after noon (but slow) ride, with lot's of

prayer.

The Lord let me get back to Pecos and find a

gas station. While the gas nozzle was in my

tank filling up - the wind returned so hard it

almost blew my bike over just setting there.

Praise God. He even controlled the weather

to help this little old guy.

MULTI-TASKING CHRISTIANS ?

It began several decades ago. Some friends

declared that talking while they work did not

effect their work. So I began to watch.

I noticed that when they were working and talking, they had to begin again and redo
things a lot more than when they were not talking. Maybe it's just in the definition!!!!

Today it has become very popular to "multi-task".

But does it work? Consider an article from the

Los Angeles Times back on July 19, 2004.

"Multi-tasking, for most Americans, has become a

way of life."...

"But researchers peering into the brains of those

engaged in several tasks at once are concluding what

some overworked Americans had begun to suspect:

that multi-tasking, which many have embraced as the

key to success, is instead a formula for shoddy work,

mismanaged time, rote solutions, stress and

forgetfulness. Not to mention car crashes, kitchen

fires, forgotten children, near misses in the skies and

other dangers of inattention."

It comes as no surprise that there are a huge number

of articles about multi-tasking not working, at least

well. Each time we add a task to the one we are doing,

we are distracted to a greater degree from the task at

hand. The solution is obvious. FOCUS.

A couple of quotes from the business world. Their

interest is success in business, or finance. But the

trues apply in the spiritual realm as well.

"The secret of success is focus. It is the one secret

that ties everything together. According to the law

of attraction, what you focus on is what you get."

-Enoch Tan in Dream manifesto.

Terri Zwierzynski in Solo Entrepreneur states,

"O: 'How to stay focused?'

A: One easy way to get and stay focused is to

have less to focus on!"

The girl is right on. It is so obvious it is almost

funny.

What does all of this have to do with living for God?

A Christian wants to get close to God. As it were, to

walk hand in hand with Him through life. (I hope.)

So God tells us how.

"Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.

Cleanse our hands, ye sinners; and purify your heats,

ye double minded."

-James 4:8 KJV (Emphasis mine.)

See that "double minded". Dear old brother James

Strong tells us that double minded is,

"Two-spirited, i.e. Vacillating (in opinion or purpose)"

Hey. That's multi-tasking. That's unfocused.

The apostle John says's it a little different.

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in

the world. If any man love the world, the love of

the Father is not in him."

-1 John 2:15 KJV

When we have divided interest; money, ambition,

success, enjoyment, toys, honor, entertainment,

more things, fun etc., etc., etc. And trying to live

for God. We are multi-tasking. AND IT DON'T

WORK.

Jesus said,

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his

righteousness;"

-Matthew 6:33 KJV

The apostle Paul was such an outstanding success

in living for and serving God because; his attitude

and example was,

"... but this one thing I do..."

-Philippians 3:13 KJV

Yes, I had to follow Terri's advice. Drop some things

so that there would be less to focus on. I do not need

every thing my little heart or mind desires. I do not

need every comfort or convenience there is. BUT I DO

NEED JESUS.