Several years ago, I decided something that I thought was completely original. I decided that our souls need feeding. We feed the physical body (some of us more than others) and we feed the spiritual body (some of us not as much as we should). But what about the soul? How do we feed the soul? My brilliant deduction was through fueling our passions and taking time out for ourselves.

A little while later, my pastor preached a sermon on the different types of gas tanks that we have. Of course, he used my own analogy, but I don't think he plagiarized it from me. No, I think I wasn't the original one. He basically said that we spend so much time filling one or two tanks and ignore the other(s). And that puts us out of balance. While spending all our time with Christian tasks, we may feel fulfilled spiritually but we are missing something. If we (as I tend to do) run to the pantry or refrigerator for every emotion, we loose our physical health. In the past, I thought those were the only things that I had to fill.

I was in the North Carolina mountains with friends when I realized that I was filling up something that was neither of the two tanks. I could almost feel my soul taking deep breaths of the mountain air. I feel it every time I escape from the monotony of life. I feel it now that I am on vacation in Orange Beach, AL with very special friends. It's here that I tend to fill all three tanks. We do eat well, possibly too well. I feel His presence so clearly watching the beauty of His creation. It's easier to speak with Him here. And, like I wrote before, I feel my soul take deep breaths.

Life has not changed. Work is still waiting. Bills are still coming in the mail. But I'm on a retreat and feeling Him close to me. You don't have to drive to a beach or the mountains to feed your soul. Sometimes it's as easy as sitting with a good book. Or walking through a garden. Or a drive down a road you've never been just to see where it goes. Take a moment. Breathe deeply. Close your eyes and think about Him. Think about Him in a place you love. He's there waiting to just be with you. To just help you feed your soul.

With love, from the Gulf Coast.