Every one of us has a fuel tank that needs three kinds of fuel: spiritual fuel, emotional fuel, and physical fuel.
Spiritually, we need to be feeding on God’s word. We need to talk with Him. We need to do things that help us keep our eyes on Him. Right now I’m reading Romans because our church is studying it. I also try to read Proverbs everyday.
Physically, we need both movement and nutrition fuel. Walk, run, ride a bike, push a stroller—it doesn’t matter what we do…it just matters that we do it! When we eat, it’s important to fuel our body with healthy foods that keep us strong and builds our immune system.
Today, however, I’m thinking about emotional fuel. These are the activities we do that pump us up. They give us energy. They allow us to fill up emotionally so we have patience, comfort, care, focus, and joy to give others.
What fills your emotional fuel tank?
To answer that question requires some self awareness. We need to be in tune with how God made us. Are you an introvert or an extrovert? I used to think these terms referred to how shy or outgoing a person is. That’s not a correct definition, though. An introvert is a person who is refueled by being alone. An extrovert is a person who is refueled by being with people.
I’m an introvert so part of my emotional fuel is finding time to be alone. When my kids were little, I used to ask my husband for 30 minutes to myself (in the bedroom with the door closed reading a book, the newspaper, my Bible, or whatever I could grab that day!) right after he came home from work. It was “daddy wrestle time” while mommy fueled her introvert fuel tank in order to make it through the evening.
Now its easier for me to find alone time, but I still have to carve it out intentionally. No one hands it to me and if I don’t find the time, I start running on fumes which results in impatience, lack of focus, and feeling overwhelmed.
Reading is also emotional fuel for me. I love to read novels, biographies, and the daily newspaper (got to know what’s going on in the world!). When I prioritize reading, there is a happy mommy in the Savage home.
Self care is not selfish. Taking care of yourself IS taking care of your family.
What fills your emotional fuel tank? How do you make time for that? If you’re not making time for refueling activities, what could you do to prioritize them in some way?
I’ve copied the first few sentences of this message, to be added to a post on http://www.jean-oathout.blogspot.com the 4th if Jan, “Big Plans/Can God Direct This?” Your link is with it. Thanks for sharing this, my friend.
Jean
Jill, Thanks for this reminder. It is so easy to take care of everyone and everything else and not refill your own tank. I had not thought about reading as emotional fuel, but it really is for me. I need to dedicate more time to do that for myself.
I hope you are taking time to fill your own emotional tank during this challenging season in your life. You have been in my prayers. I am a non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor for the past 17 years (when I was diagnosed, they gave me 3 to 5 years to live – with a bone marrow transplant!) God has blessed me beyond reason! In addition to keeping my cancer in check, my husband and I have been able to watch our 3 children grow into amazing adults AND added a beautiful daughter to our family 8 years ago from China. She is an amazing addition to our family! Plus we have enjoyed the addition of a grandson who is now 4 years old.
I still do chemo. every 6 months to keep my lymphoma in check and I start again this week. You will be in my prayers and on my mind as I start my chemo. cycle. I pray that you will do well and stay strong! Your emotional tank is so important during this time, so make sure you refill yours as well as reminding us to refill ours! Your are a beautiful lady Jill – trust in God and stay strong!
Bobbi
Bobbi, wow…you do chemo every 6 months? You are my new hero! Bless you as you begin another cycle. I’m doing well and I’m definitely keeping my emotional tank full. I will continue to do that!
Jill,
I love this post. We don’t talk about this enough, taking care of ourselves, the mommas of the family. This reality hit me 4 years ago when I was diagnosed with chordoma, a rare cancer of the brain and spine (L2 in my case). There is no cure, no effective chemo or radiation and the average life span after diagnosis is 7 years. At the time my children were 4, 2, and 10 mo. Yet our Great Physician blessed me with an amazing surgeon who removed the cancer in one piece (hopefully preventing any spread). My recovery was not easy or quick, but God provided the support I needed and I was given the gift of learning so much about myself, being one with my husband, and most importantly trusting in our God of grace and mercy. I struggled during my recovery, truly thinking I needed to be strong all of the time, making the most of every moment, so unsure how many I would have with my children…but never taking a moment to fuel my emotional tank. I’m an introvert too. It took a few YEARS to learn how to make time for refueling and not feel guilty for it. I can say it took cancer for me to learn this, I pray messages like yours will reach mommas that struggle and offer them the wisdom and grace they need to care for themselves as well.
God’s peace and strength be yours for this journey. Raising prayers for you,
~Karis