Back when I was a child in 1492 (that’s no typo because at times it feels as though I am really that old), things were so different. Now, don’t go rolling your eyes in judgment because our world has changed radically in your lifetime too. I could do pages and pages about these changes.
What brought this to mind happened a few days ago as Vickie and I drove past a gas station. In reading about a gas station, I know that your mind immediately thought about the price of gasoline. I know that this will make me seem to be really old but I can remember my dad buying gasoline for 29¢ a gallon at gas stations like the one shown in the blog’s header. That’s a far cry from the $3.21 a gallon that I recently paid.
The price of gasoline isn’t the only thing that has changed in gassing up a vehicle. Long gone are the days of having a full-service gas station. I remember as a child being with my parents as they pulled into Jimmy and Bubba Stewart’s gas station in West Columbia, Texas. Now, this is going to really date me. Not only did we get the gasoline as we pulled into the station, but Jimmy or Bubba would also clean the car’s windshield, check the oil level, top off the air pressure in the tires, and offer a piece of Dubble Bubble bubble gum to my sister Ruth and me. And, I could always expect Jimmy to look at me and say, “I’d rather be dead, than red on the head” as he lovingly teased me because of my red hair. Am I the only one that can remember a full-service gas station that provided on-the-spot, exactly-what’s-needed care?
For those concerned that this trip down memory lane is an early sign of dementia, let me put your mind at ease. My Stewart’s gas station experiences came to mind the other day when I read:
“For I know that this shall turn to my salvation
through your prayer, and the
supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 1:19
In the margin of my Bible beside this verse, I had previously written this portion of Philippians 1:19 taken from the Amplified Bible “…the [superabundant] supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ [which upholds me].” I sensed as I was reading that the full-service Holy Spirit is my on-the-spot deliverer of exactly-what’s-needed care. And His supply is superabundant. And, He is better than Jimmy and Bubba Stewart’s gas station. You see, their tremendous care only took place when we pulled into their station. But, with the Holy Spirit, our supply availability and delivery are 24/7/365 because He is always with us and in us. (John 14:16-17) Thank God for the Holy Spirit!
Do yourself a gigantic favor. Do as I did and write in the margin of your Bible that portion of scripture from the Amplified Bible. It will serve as a great reminder of His superabundant supply this is always available for our every need.
