I come back into my hotel room after a nice run. I remember that I drank my last bottle of water before I started out on my run. As I come up the elevator my mind is thinking about the water that's in my car, and then I'd have to go to my room, get my car keys, then go back up - blah blah blah - I'm thirsty but not sure I want to go through all of that.
Then I come down my hall and there is the maid's cart. I think, "maybe I'll just ask her for another bottle of water."
Immediately my 7th grade inner voice says, "but I'm not sure you're allowed to have another bottle of water, and what if they're supposed to charge you for it." And then I argue back to my 7th grade inner voice. "But I'm a Marriott Platinum Elite member, doesn't that qualify me for more water?"
Then I smile to myself thinking, "this is the most ridiculous inner dialogue for a beautiful Sunday morning, geez, it's water for crying out loud." So with an apologetic smile, I say to the nice young lady with her maid cart, "Could I have another bottle of water?" Of course I say "another" because I don't want to appear ungrateful for the 1st bottle of water that I've been given. I think I've been on this Catholic College Campus too long, the guilt seems to be seeping into my pores.
She smiles back and needs more clarification, words are not going to be our best form of communication and I hold my hand up like I'm drinking a glass of water and smile again. She smiles back with her eyes that she understands and goes into the closet for the water. She comes back with a pack of water and asks me how many. "Oh just one" I hold up my finger and smile again apologetically wondering how she could ever find me so presumptuous to ask for more than one extra bottle of water. She smiles a sweet smile and hands me not one but two bottles of water.
How often do we do this? We want something, maybe something we won't die without but we want it and we sort of need it but we're afraid to ask. We go about figuring out how we can handle it ourselves. Often it is the lack of courage that holds us back. And if we do in fact get the courage to actually ask for help, we're often surprised by the generosity we receive. We get more than we asked for. And isn't this because most of the human spirit, in spite of our often vast differences, wants to help us. We just need the courage to ask.
