When my gas light comes on I know I have another 60 miles (at least!) until I will run out of a gas.  I tend to push that limit and have been known to be a little risky when it comes to keeping my tank filled.

My husband, on the other hand, rarely lets his gas tank get below a half of tank.  Seems like his tank is always full.

I guess someone could analyze our opposing behavior and probably figure out our place in the birth order, personality types, learning styles, sleep patterns.  OK…maybe not.  But surely this says something about the way we operate.

I am a very practical person.  I like to make the most of every moment.  So the less time I spend at a gas station watching the numbers roll, the better.

My husband is a very prepared  person. His gas tank will be fine if there were a (nother) gas shortage in our state, or a natural disaster, or an emergency long drive somewhere.

I once heard someone refer to relationships in life as a “love tank”.  When you feel fulfilled, appreciated, respected, cherished then your love tank is full.  When you feel unappreciated, disrespected, belittled, and unimportant your love tank is empty.

All of us give and receive love in different ways and therefore get our tanks filled in different ways.

Unlike my gas tank, I want to keep the love tanks of those special people in my life brimming to the top.  I want to make sure my husband knows I love and respect him and cherish him above any other person on earth.  I tell him this but that doesn’t often fill his tank.  When I show him through my actions and behavior, that’s when the numbers roll on his filling station.

My son, on the other hand, loves to hear how much I care and how wonderful he is in my eyes.

My daughter’s love tank fills to the top when you buy her a thoughtful gift.  Her eyes light up with genuine appreciation and she knows she is so loved.

Of course, it is also wonderful to love my family through physical touch like hugs, kisses and snuggles.

As I continue to ride the rebellious red light of gas tank emptiness, I hope I will never ever let the love tanks of those around me go below “full”. I will not let the tank of my life reflect the gas gage in my van (swagger wagon).  I will, however, let is serve as a reminder to me to keep the other tanks around me full to the brim.   After all, these will be the people that come to my rescue when I run out of gas on the side of the road.

At an Inheritance of Hope Legacy Retreat , our staff and volunteers strive to fill up all the love tanks of the families who attend. Then those families will be able to keep each other filled up and no one will be driving around on empty.