Do you remember the sounds of the old time full service gas stations?  For some reason, I can very distinctly remember the sounds of pulling into one of those stations when I was kid.  Few family cars had air conditioning in those days, so in warm weather, the windows were in the full down position allowing all the sounds of the station to be heard.  The first sound was the DING-DING as the tires rolled over the rubber hose, causing a bell to ring in one of the garage bays.  One of the attendants or the mechanic-on-duty would emerge from the office or from under a car on a grease rack.  As he approached the car, he would offer a friendly greeting and ask “How can I help you?”

Then came the words from Dad, “Fill ‘er up.”

The attendant’s reply was invariably “Regular or Ethyl?”  (Some attendants would substitute the words “High-Test” for Ethyl which referred to the higher octane blend).

Dad always replied “Regular.”  Our cars were family station wagons or sedans, and Dad was very frugal, so for our family cars, the blend of choice was always “Regular”.  At this point, if the weather was nice, Dad would get out of the car and strike up a conversation with the attendant.

After the attendant started pumping the gas, the next question he would ask Dad was “Check under the hood?”  This meant did Dad want him to raise the hood and check the oil level, and look for other anomalies that may require maintenance.  Dad seldom had the attendant check under the hood unless we were on a long trip, and the oil consumption could be more than normal.

Then the next question from the attendant would be “Check the tires?”  He, of course, was inquiring if Dad wanted him to check the inflation of the tires.  Occasionally, Dad would have him do this, but not always.

This whole litany of questions from the attendant may seem unreal to members of a younger generation.  But that’s the way it used to be.  We actually used to call them “service stations” back in the day, because they truly offered service as part of the gas fill-up experience. 

After the pump shut off and the attendant returned the hose and nozzle to the pump, he would tell Dad the cost of the “fill-up”.  Usually it would be about $3, or $4 if the tank was especially empty.  Another anachronism in today’s world: Dad always paid in cash, unless we were on a long family vacation trip, which was the only time I remember Dad using a credit card to pay for gas.  (There was no such thing yet as a debit card).

Those were the days!  A different time, not so long ago, yet sometimes it seems like a lifetime ago. 

While it was easier back then to keep the tank filled up, these days it’s our lives which always seem to stay filled up.  How many of us actually have spare time?  Can we fit one more thing into our busy lives?  I seem to have little extra time to do anything other than what I am already filled-up doing.  I sometimes wonder if God is pleased with my busyness.  If the things that occupy my time and demand my attention are not serving Him or drawing me closer to Him, I already know the answer to the question.

Many things that we do are not bad things or destructive to us, but are they the best things?  God wants only the best for us, and sometimes He needs to get my attention and remind me of that.  Sometime He gets my attention in ways that are not pleasant (or worse).  But I know He desires to draw me closer to Him, and I need that.

I am reminded of Jesus’ first miracle at the wedding feast when he told the servants at the feast to empty the stone jars that held the ceremonial water, and then refill the jars with new water.  In obedience, the servants emptied the jars and then refilled the jars to the brim.  When the jars were taken to the master of the banquet, he found them to be filled with the finest wine (John 2:1-10).

I want my life to be filled to the brim and transformed by Jesus.  But in order to do that, I have to be willing to empty myself of ‘ceremonial water’ and be filled with the living water that He offers.  

If you are like me and this strikes a chord with you, perhaps you need to look at what it is that you are filled up with.  We all need to be filled up with more of Him.