Get Your Foot Off the Hose!!!

I'm blessed to be surrounded by many earthly beings who offer me books, readings, antecdotes, conversations, and other spiritual support that has been guiding my growth over so many years.

I'm always grateful for visits to my mom when my sister and I travel for 6 hours to visit my other sister and then pick up mom for a "girls' gathering."  The trip is a time for gabbing and catching up, even though my Rochester sister and I are in a women's circle together once week anyway.  We love talking about where we are spiritually and what growth step we're currently engaging in or struggling with.  And we listen to murder mysteries on tape (just so you don't think it's all one big spiritual love-fest).

I'm an extremely visual person; I really think in pictures.  It's a drawback at times when people share information and I can't make the pictures fast enough in my head.  It frustrates the information giver; and it frustrates me because I feel as though I'm a tad "slow."

On this trip, I talked with my sister about a cute little picture I read in one of the books a good friend has shared with me called "Power Through Constructive Thinking" by Emmet Fox.  It talks about a father who is gardening with his daughter (that, alone, is a pretty cool metaphor).  His daughter has gotten excited about using the hose to water the plants.  At some point, the water abrubtly stops and she becomes frustrated and yells for her father's help.  He points out to her that her foot is on the hose, stopping the flow of water.  She steps off and the water flows freely again.  At some point in the afternoon, the same thing happens and Dad has to remind his daughter to get her other foot off the hose so the water can run freely.  

The point being that God's blessings and gifts are like the water flowing from the hose - freely, abundantly, without hesitation - until I step onto the hose.  What does that stepping represent - my doubt, my fears, my insecurity, my distrust, my lack of faith ...  

My sister was cool by adding to the picture words to go with the water coming out of the hose:  abundance, grace, blessings, faith, hope, safety, love, acceptance, all the power I will every need, etc.  I drew a picture of the hose and shot the water up into the air so it's falling all over me.  Hmmmmmmm.  Feel's good.

Just for today, I am becoming very mindful of when I put my foot on the hose and stop the flow.  I plan to do the same tomorrow.