5 miles to empty

Ever been driving around with your gas tank sitting on E? Two years ago during the gas shortage, I was out of gas, out of town, and out late at night. No I wasn't partying and being irresponsible, I was doing an industrial shoot for a furniture store all the way in Cartersville, GA. I had done this shoot before, but forgot how far it really was and I got turned around a couple times before making it there just I'm time for the 5:30pm call time. I did realize that I was low on gas and with my reliable Honda, I have never had an issue with gas or, lack there of. This was the first time I just might have broken my record and been stuck on the side of the road. I figured I could just get gas after the shoot and be on my merry little way back to Decatur. Little did I know, I was in for a lesson in FAITH on fumes. Get it?!

Now I met a gentleman at the shoot who offered to follow me to a gas station just in case I ran out of gas. See God brought a someone to cover me so I'd be good. As an I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T woman, we need to learn to accept help when a man is trying to do his job to protect you, even when it seems like he's trying to holla and you're not feeling him. This wasn't necessarily the case, but I'm just saying, stop trying to do everything on your own. Anyway, the shoot was going well and fortunately for me, I was wrapped about 12am, but unfortunately my "covering" was not wrapped. I had to make a decision on whether to wait on him or strike out on my own in this dark night in Cartersville. Well, I was being slightly independent and stubborn, cause I was TIRED, and I left my covering there at the shoot. SHOOT! LOL!!

Now I crank up my Honda, and of course the gas light is on, but I'm like no prob, Lord I saw a few gas stations on my way in, I'll be straight. Hmmmfp! I felt like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, I was trying every gas station, and it was like "this one's closed" and "this one's open but has no gas!" This was not going like the fairytale at all! I was not having any GoldiLUCK! Now I'm starting to panic just a little cause I left my covering who could have found a gas station that was open for me and I wouldn't have had to drive around blindly WASTING gas! Now remember I am in Cartersville where everything practically shuts down at 9 pm, and they don't have QT or RACETRAC like Atlanta, soooo I am so screwed now and I don't know where I'm going, I'm just driving, I could've been in Tennessee somewhere, maybe not since I was out of gas, ha! So now I'm praying like the whole time like just calling JESUS' name, cause there is POWER in HIS name right?!

At this point I am sure I am going to run out of gas because I have been driving for a long time AND I have driven in circles and up and down dark 2 lane roads with nothing in sight. Finally I drive by this gas station that has all the lights off and all the pumps are off, BUT, the open sign is on. Huh? Next door was the laundromat that was open, and I passed this station earlier, but the "open" sign and dark store seemed like a denial to me. Well this time I pulled into the lot and there was a guy standing in front of the laundromat outside doing something on his cellphone. I took a chance and just asked him if he knew whether or not the gas station was actually opened or closed. AUDACITY OF HOPE (oooh, this coulda been the title too...)

He actually said "No it's closed I'm sorry." I was like "oh cause I see the "open" sign is on...and I'm like soooo outta gas... At this point I'm defeated, BUT GOD!!! How about the guy was actually the manager of that gas station!!!! What!!!! So I'm like "sir please I have like NO GAS IN THIS CAR, and have been driving for like 20 min" in the middle of the night. Now of all the stations I drove past, that were closed and had no gas, God led me to a station that HAD gas and COULD BE opened by FAITH! The guy told me to pull up to the pump, and he reopened the store so that I could get gas!! God WILL open a door that seems closed even when it has an "open" sign that would lead you to believe for example, that a job is available and they go and hire their friend, or that home you're under contract for is practically yours and then the bank says, "ummm NO!" TRUST ME! God opened a door for me when it was closed and it reminds me that he will NEVER leave me nor forsake me....EVER!

This guy was so nice and I was just baffled at the fact that I wouldn't and couldn't even have guessed that HE was the manager of the store, all because of his position. HMM position.... I didn't link him to the gas station because he was "positioned" or standing in front of the laundromat. Now I did kinda racially profile him but only because he looked sorta middle eastern and I know alot of them work at a lot of gas stations, so I thought, hmm maybe... or maybe not. He couldve been playing snake on his phone while waiting for his clothes to dry, or tryna text his baby momma to tell her he just couldnt wash her unmentionables so that meant she wasn't going have any clean panties to wear to work the next day unless she washed them in the sink herself! Lol! You know how some men are! Who knows why he was standing there cause he wasn't washing no clothes, he standing right where God wanted him to be standing so that God could test my faith.

Gas station guy ended up saying to me that he too had actually been out of gas stranded before, and that's why he opened the store for me. Compassion and empathy! When you have been through something you tend to have more empathy and are more compelled to help someone knowing their pain firsthand. Bless his heart. This one was "just right" as Goldilocks would say!

Well folks, needless to say, I drove out of Cartersville on a full tank of gas, money in my pocket from the shoot, and another victory for TEAM JESUS!! HALLELUJAH!! With God all things are possible, even a closed door can be open with God placing all the players in the right positions like any good coach, and with the players studying, applying and trusting the playbook (Bible), victory is inevitable!