Fill Your Tank!

A few days ago, I read a great email from the Fly Lady about filling your tank. We all know that it's not a good idea to let our vehicles run near empty, or even push it to running on fumes. How often, though, do we push ourselves to running on fumes?

As single moms, it is seemingly easier to justify running on empty than it is for us to actually take care of ourselves so that we can better take care of our families.

Now, I am guilty of pushing myself to exhaustion, running on fumes, and then being Grouchy Mom as a result. Is this honoring the Lord? Honestly, it isn't. What kind of message does this teach my children if they never see me taking care of myself, filling up my own tank?

The best I have done in this area was to take a cup of decaf coffee and a book or my Bible out to the picnic table late in the evening a few times back in the summer. Because I am not the best in this area, I went to FaceBook and asked some single moms in a couple of closed forums how they fill their tanks. Here are some of their responses.

"I make sure that I workout 3-4 times a week."

"Part of [my] weekly goal list is an item called fun. So even if I'm just planning for fun, I still make sure I am taking care of my needs."

"I get a massage every 6 weeks, and try to exercise a couple times a week. As my kids got older, I had to be okay with learning to lean on my church family so I could take a girls' weekend with my friends every once in a while."

"I found that taking a relaxing bubble bath after the kids have gone to bed helped me. It's nice to take a few minutes for myself once in a while instead of just doing housework."

"I take a long, hot bath with a good book. Reading has always made me feel recharged."

"I sit in my favorite chair or lie down for a short nap while listening to 'Classical Unwind' on iTunes."

"I take warm baths, read, spend time with God, and have some Nutella and milk."

"I get a massage every month (splurged on a Massage Envy membership) and I try to take 1/2 hour every night to either read or play a game on the computer--something just for me."

"I live two hours from the ocean, and every 2-3 months I go to the ocean for a whole day by myself. My day is filled with songs of worship and praise in my heart. The waves, the clarity of the water, and the wildlife that abounds there create peace in me and I am able to hear God more clearly. It's like the pieces of my chaotic single-mom life are put into place like a puzzle. It's not an escape. It is truly a heart fill-up."

John 10:10 says, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." Full. Not running on fumes. Not 1/4 of a tank. Not even 3/4 of a tank. Full! That is what the Lord intends for us.

How about you, friend? What do you do to fill up your tank? Please leave your ideas in the comments section below!