“Automatic Replenishment”

I looked at my bank account today and realized it was short. Ugh! I scolded myself for overspending because I must have spent an extra $130, even if I’m too tired to remember what I spent it on. At the same time, I opened my email. Ahhhh, that’s where the money went! The joys of “automatic replenishment.” It’s a less offensive way of saying, “We no longer bill you for tolls when you go through them. Instead, we will hold your money hostage in advance for a month’s worth of tolls. We can do this because we’ve made it impossible for you to pay as you go and made it much more difficult for you to pay them one at a time because bills are mailed at odd times with no grace period, so you end up paying us some outrageous sum in fines for being late mailing it in.” So I eat it. The frustration of commuting.

The Name Is A Lie

The name, though, is a lie. Like so much in our modern society, the euphemism made this very unpleasant interaction seem palatable. Automatic replenishment should mean that when you find yourself empty, you are automatically refilled. That is what the words mean. They do not mean paying in advance for something you haven’t yet used.

The Truth

The truth is, there are very few automatic replenishers in life. They usually fall into the category of family and great friends. I try to make the first thing I say to the kids in the morning something filling. Then, if I see them down, I do the same. My mom did that for me. She was the most constant filler-upper of all time. Her faith in me made me feel like I could take on anything. Sometimes, we aren’t blessed with someone in our lives who sees our glass empty and just begins to pour. Sometimes we’ve sat empty for so long; we forgot what it was like to be filled.

Jesus – The Best Automatic Replenisher

There is one plug on the wall that’s always free—one replenisher with a pitcher of love and grace that never dries out. Jesus is the best automatic replenisher I know. He always has the right fuel for the job – whether gas, diesel, ethanol, or electric – God’s got you covered. The best part about it is that you don’t even have to ask. I have lost count of the times I was driving around, on empty, or pretty close to it, my engine puttering with still so much road to travel – when God intervened. Sometimes, I was forced to pull off to a rest stop. Other times I was refueled mid-trip without ever stopping. Other times, the road was blocked, and I had to make a detour which ended up taking me on a much lovelier scenic route. Regardless of the manner, we can be assured that Christ will fill us when we need feeling. Have a blessed day.

1 Peter 5:10
And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.