I have a handy cart that keeps my garden hose rolled up nicely, and then all I need to do is grab the end of the hose and walk towards my garden about 50 feet away. The idea is that the hose will roll smoothly off the wheel without tangling. As I confidently walk towards my garden, I never feel the need to look back at the hose. There’s no obvious tugging to indicate the hose may be stuck on something. No telltale resistance to let me know there might be an issue. Well today, I got all the way out to the garden, raised the nozzle sprayer, directed it towards the plants, squeezed the handle, and – nothing. No water was flowing. Not a drop.
My eyes travelled the long length of black hose between the house and me. No obvious loops or obstructions. By the looks of things, everything was OK. It wasn’t until I needed the water, did I realize something was wrong. So I set the nozzle down and walked all the way back to the faucet, looking for what was preventing the water from reaching the nozzle. Sure enough, there was a kink. Just one little twist in the hose was completely stopping the flow of water. But the kink wasn’t obvious; it was lying flat without the usual telltale loop. I would never have found it without intentionally walking the entire length of hose looking for it.
God showed me that we need to do this with our own lives. Instead of waiting until we’re in a situation where we really need His help, it would be wise for us look for any little twists or blockages that could be getting in the way of us and God. Intentionally look for them. Unforgiveness? Anger? Bad habits? Making something or someone else more important than God?
Just like with my garden hose, everything may seem OK. But there could be a kink somewhere – something subtle, with no telltale loop. In fact, we may have gotten so used to the blockage, that we’ve forgotten what it’s like to have that rush of living water.
I think God was smiling as I cleared the kink and the water began to flow again. I know my plants were.
Search me, O God, and know my heart…point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. – Psalm 139:23-24