Photo by Roberto Sorin on Unsplash

A deep freeze had descended on our province. Temperatures dipped to intolerable lows overnight but rose gradually over the course of the day — enough for us to take the chance to go for a snowmobile ride.

But we had to dress appropriately.

The ensemble took some time to get on. Long-sleeve shirt under sweater under snowmobile coat. Long johns under track pants, under snowmobile pants. Warm mitts protected by hand guards and heated handgrips. Battery-operated heated socks protected by winter boots. All topped off by a heated helmet.

Ready to go.

We set out for a trip along an unfamiliar trail to find water rapids. The trail twisted through beautiful landscapes where I gazed up at towering pine trees and stunning scenery.

But my toes started to feel cool.

Then cold.

I tapped my husband on the shoulder, indicating for him to stop. “My feet are cold!”

He shrugged and asked if I’d turned off the heated socks. I thought maybe I had accidentally hit the switch and so pulled my boot off to look.

Nope. The switch was on, but the batteries were dead.

I hadn’t thought to recharge the batteries after our long snowmobile ride the day before. They lasted for only a short time before the battery died and the heat cooled off.

We had to shorten our trip and return to our hotel for me to warm up my toes.

I chastised myself for not charging the batteries. If I had plugged in the batteries the night before, we could’ve gone for a much longer ride.

This reminded me of the need to recharge my emotional, mental, and spiritual batteries as well.

As an introvert, I need downtime to recharge. I need quiet and alone time to feel energized and ready to face another day. Most people don’t recognize me as an introvert because I can be outgoing and gregarious. What they don’t realize is that I can act this way for only so long. Then my energy begins to wane and I become tired and irritable.

My spiritual life is the same. I cannot rely on attending a church service on Sunday to carry me through the next seven days.

I need to charge my spiritual batteries through regular prayer, Bible study, and fellowship with other Christians. Otherwise, this little light that shines inside of me will fade.

What do you do to keep your spiritual battery charged?