Do you remember when you didn’t have to keep up with gas prices? When the expense was more of an incidental than a budgeted line item? I do.

When I bought my first car, gas was somewhere around 89 cents per gallon. Ten buckaroos bought a fill-up in those days. That was ice cream money by today’s standards.

Fast forward to today. I was down to 1/4 tank today and every station in town and neighboring cities was selling gas for $3.79. I kept thinking about how I should have made a U-turn to fill up at the station near my house that advertised a gallon of regular gas for $3.59. However, if I was going to get where I was headed, I couldn’t make an additional stop. So I headed toward my destination with what I had left.

Good things come to those who wait? Sort of… When I approached home on the return trip, the station that was selling gas gasoline for $3.59 per gallon had only increased by 2 cents per gallon, not 20 cents like everyone else! To make the deal even better, I saved 30 cents per gallon with my grocery store loyalty card, so today’s fill-up was a bargain basement $3.31 per gallon.

I am thankful for cheap gas today. I have a 250-mile drive ahead of me tomorrow and the thought of making it with gas prices hovering around $4 per gallon makes me ill.

Father,

Thank You for giving me the patience to keep going this morning and the fuel efficiency to make it possible to make the trip without having to spend more than necessary. I pray for the people who have to make tough decisions about their quality of life as an effect of increasing fuel prices. Please give them a sense of peace in knowing that You will provide all of their needs. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

CC