12 August 2010

Living Water


I only have this photo as a record I knew my mom's dad.  He was a smart man, and I'm not just saying that because we share genes.  He was the Dean of Continuing Education at Brigham Young University, among other notorious accomplishments and positions.  My mom relates stories of him sitting in his study [I do have memories of his study with a dark leather couch and a wall of books].  She would creep in and ask questions as a teenager.  He always had an answer.  Sometimes it wasn't the answer she was hoping for, but he was the kind of man whose answer one would take to heart, because it was given in love and wisdom.  He left a compilation of hand-written stories to his grandchildren, Tell Us Another One Grandpa:  Lessons he learned in life.  One story, in particular, has always hovered around in my mind:  All things are spiritual.  An excerpt:

Is everything spiritual to the Lord?  If so, how can tasting, chewing and swallowing your wheaties at breakfast be spiritual?  I was amazed as I thought about it.

1-Eating wheaties is made spiritual if we respect the wheaties by being on time to eat them, with hands washed and hair combed.
2-Before we sit, we can help others get seated, and before we eat, we can thank God for the food and then pass the food to others before we eat.
3-Show concern for others by not chomping, spilling or gulping our food.
4-We can do something positive, like bringing a flower to the table; by not complaining about the food/ by telling about the good things we are going to do that day.
5-If we have to leave the table early, we can ask to be excused.  We can also help clear the table or wash the dishes.
6-We can have a good spiritual feeling ourselves, and make the one who is responsible for the food happy, with a "Thanks, Mom."


As I was doing the dishes this morning, I noticed that one of the flowers I picked and placed by the sink last night was drooping.  I remembered that that particular flower I cut shorter than the rest and realized it just needed a bit more water in the vase.  I added not more than a tablespoonful and turned around to clean up the table left by the masses in a state of smears and crumbs.  Upon returning to the sink, the small flower had already perked up.  It reminded me of the scripture found in John 4:10-11.



  10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

  11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water.

I am proud and try to convince myself that the omission of certain things on occasion don't have an effect on me--skipping morning prayers or a day of reading scriptures.  They don't really feel like that much: a tablespoon here and a tablespoon there.  But, no matter the amount, there is drooping of our spiritual selves.  Each drop is missed and needed, especially for those whose supply is consistently consigned to smaller beings.  The Living Water is our immortal ticket.  I'd like a firm grip on it.

19 comments:

  1. Thanks for the reminder, Katy. I needed this today.

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  2. Well said. I especially like the last two sentences. Life is better when we make all things spiritual as they are and should be.

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  3. Thank you dear Katy for a spiritual slap on the wrist. My husband is away on business, life is in a whirlwind again, and I've let things slide that are more important than others. So many wonderful blessing are available to us...why not take it all in?

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  4. I love that analogy. So often I think, "oh it's not so awful if I don't read today, etc." But all of those times add up. It's a great reminder. Thanks for sharing. :]

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  5. i think we're on the same brain-wave again today.
    i posted this quote on facebook this morning:
    "Spiritual nature, like bodily nature, will be served; deny it food and it will gobble poison." C.S. Lewis
    we can so feel it, when we are the drooping flower, but it sometimes takes me days of just trying to make it before think how ridiculous i am being, when i know i just need to let Him fill me up, every morning!
    thanks for the reminder and encouragement.
    what a treasure you have in the books from your Grandfather:O)

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  6. What a nice thought! Thank you.

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  7. Thanks so much for this post. Life is so busy most days that as a mom I bearly have time for myself. It's important to continue to pray and keep spiritually connected each day to my heavenly Father. I have lost focus of that this week and already feel a bit stressed and down hearted. Need to get into God's word again. Thanks for the uplifting reminder!

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  8. Katy, you are wise like your Grampa Clark. Thank you!

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  9. What a wonderful, wonderful post. I love the Wheaties analogy. I have been thinking a bit lately about this; the other day I was listening to a MoTab song where one line (a psalm, I think) was "Oh may thy house be mine abode, and all my work be praise." There is also an Afro-American spiritual that talks about how "It takes all of my time to praise my Jesus." Usually it seems impractical or even impossible to make the mundane into acts of praise, but thanks to this post, I am beginning to see how. :)

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  10. Thank you, Katy. I have no doubt your grandpa read this today! And I am thankful for the reminder.

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  11. I've been thinking about your post all day. I'm afraid I've been wilting quite a bit lately. While I was too proud to admit it (or do anything about it), I needed a blatant shout-out reminder. Get out those tablespoons and fill 'er up!

    thanks muchismo

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  12. what a wonderful reminder! And SO needed right now. Thank you!

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  13. Thanks Katy,

    So much wisdom in those words. It's amazing how many lessons and reminders are in our everyday.

    I have been wilting a bit too. I needed this visual reminder. Thanks.

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  14. Yes Yes Yes! Beautiful post!

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  15. Hi I just stumbled onto your blog and noticed one of your kiddos names is Clover. That is my name too. It is VERY uncommon but very cool in my humble opinion.

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  16. Thanks for that reminded. I needed to hear that.

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  17. i just stumbled upon your blog looking at tutorials and such and am glad i saw this today! thanks so much for the reminder of that scripture and truth.

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  18. Did you teach in RS today? I serve in Primary and getting this kind of spiritual reminder is just what my drooping flower needed. Thanks

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