Fill your tank with high octane fuel

We just celebrated the great feast of Pentecost and the descent of the Holy Spirit. What a gift he is to all of us who profess faith in Jesus Christ! The greatest joy in this life is to know and love the God who created us - the One who loved us into existence, the One who sustains our existence, and the One who will carry us to our eternal existence. We can proclaim these truths by the power of the Holy Spirit - he’s the bomb!

I can tell you without hesitation that the Holy Spirit fuels my daily walk with Christ. He’s the WD-40 for my relationships, providing much-needed grace when interactions get sticky. He’s the coolant that keeps my radiator from overheating (recent headlines have caused a lot of overheating), and he’s also my shock absorber - reminding me to laugh and not take life quite so seriously.

Here’s a quick example of how the Holy Spirit helped me earlier this year. During Lent I gave up the three C’s, (and no, it wasn’t chocolate, cake and cookies). I gave up complaining, criticizing and comparing. Yikes! It was a long Lent to say the least, lol. But seriously, the Holy Spirit came through: he helped me become more aware of these patterns in my life, and he nudged me to change my way of thinking and surrender situations to God’s sovereignty. He also encouraged me to pray for anyone I was tempted to complain about (even politicians), which helped me to see them the way God sees them: as one of his beloved children whom he loves beyond all telling.

If your spiritual tank is running on empty, fill up with some high octane fuel (and it won’t even cost you $7 bucks a gallon!). Tap into the infinite power of the Holy Spirit, who is able to do more than we dare ask or imagine (Eph 3:20). Let’s awaken the sleeping giant within and be ready to receive a steady supply of God’s amazing grace.

I’d like to close with a prayer I discovered 10 years ago when I was battling cancer. I say it each morning before I lift my head off the pillow. May it bless you the way it has blessed me.

St. Anthony’s prayer for the help of the Holy Spirit

O God, send forth your Holy Spirit upon me. Guide all my thoughts and actions so that my whole life will be pleasing to you. Be with me in times of trial. Stay close to me when I am weak in body and soul. Give me the grace, the courage and the strength to do your holy will in all things, and never let me be separated from you in thought, word or deed. Amen.