By Ann Farabee

The problem was that I was running on empty. It was 2 a.m. and I was 30 minutes from home. I was 19 years old. There were no cell phones, there were no stores open and I was scared.

Yes, I knew I was running on empty at 4 p.m. that afternoon, as I headed to work at the Pizza Inn in Charlotte, but apparently it did not seem problematic at the time. I suppose I thought I could find a gas station at 3 a.m. on my way home.

Instead, after work, I immediately saw that red needle glaring at me, silently whispering that I would not have enough gas to make it home. My coworkers had already left. I had no choice but to keep driving.

Running on empty in the middle of the night is a good way for one to learn to pray. In the darkness of that desolate road, I searched my heart on how to spread out that little bit of gas that I had for my journey from Charlotte to Kannapolis. What does it actually mean when the red line is pointing to E? My prayer was that it stood for enough. Enough to get me home was all I wanted.

My mind wandered to every possible scenario of what to do. What if I ran out of gas and could not get pulled over to the side of the road? What if I ran out of gas, waited for help and was robbed by the one who stopped to help? What if I would run out of gas, pull over and no one stopped to help?

Would it be better for me to go fast or slow? Slow had to be the answer, but my mind wanted me to hurry and get home as fast as I could.

Seemingly, that needle kept moving downward past the red line — lower and lower.

I whispered my fears to God, “Help me get home. Help me get home.”

As I prayed, I felt the Holy Spirit whisper, “Keep going.” I drove slowly and kept repeating, “Keep going.”

A long and prayer-filled 30 minutes later, I arrived at the mill house my family called home. It sure was a sweet sight. I had kept going. God had gotten me home.

The next morning, my dad got the tank filled up and I was not surprised when he told me the car sputtered all the way to the filling station. The car had almost run out of gas — and I felt as if I had run out of gas, as well.

Many have probably had a similar experience, whether it was in a car or in our daily lives. We feel as though we are running on empty. The good news — the God News — is that our Heavenly Father watches over us in all areas of our lives, even if we forget to watch out for ourselves.

On that night, getting home felt like a miracle.

Did God stretch that gas out for me? I think so.

How much more does our Heavenly Father love and protect us from difficulties we may never even realize — and from difficulties we bring on ourselves?

2 Chronicles 16:9 reminds us that the eyes of the Lord roam back and forth throughout the whole earth to show himself strong on our behalf.

Thinking back, I know I should have gotten gas before I went to work. Thankfully, God was with me to make sure I made it home.

Just like He stretched back the waves to part the Red Sea for God’s people to cross — He stretched out what was in my gas tank for me that night.

OK, that may sound a little dramatic, but that is what I think happened.

All I know is I was running on empty, and I made it home anyway.

When we are running on empty, we need to locate a filling station.

Fill our cups, Lord. We lift them up, Lord.

Ann Farabee is a teacher, writer and speaker. Contact her at annfarabee@gmail.com or annfarabee.com.