I was cleaning out some dusty old boxes in my attic one day
when I discovered a candle-making kit I'd received as a gift when I was a
little girl. With a smile, I wiped off the top layer of dust, and carried
it down the ladder to show this special treasure to my daughters and their
friend.
With squeals of excitement and cries of
"May I make a candle?",
I replied,
"Yes, if everything we need is
here."
I opened the box to see the large block of white wax
standing proud, pristine, and tall in its place. The molds beckoned and
tempted three girls to imagine a candle in the shape of an owl or a
mushroom. The colored wax and wicking string had melted together in the
heat of the attic, but could easily be separated from each other. When I
opened the paint containers to see cracked, dry chips of color staring back
at us, silence descended upon the room.
"Will these paints work?"
my older daughter asked, with her deep concern showing in
the furrows on her forehead.
"I don't think so. I'll have to find some new
candle paint."
I replied... and promised myself that at the next available
opportunity I'd get some new candle paints. A couple of days later, I set
out to visit a craft shop just one hour before closing, and learned from
their candle expert that not only did this shop not carry any candle
paints, but also that candle paint was nearly impossible to come by.
"You can check on the internet, and see if you
can find the new product that will be going on sale sometime later this
year",
explained the blonde middle-aged candle expert, gazing over
her glasses to look me in the eye as she deftly cut a piece of fabric for
another customer. I asked her if there might be some local shop that might
carry candle paint, and she gave me look that seemed to say, "Not likely",
but gave me the name of a nearby art store that I could try.
I checked the clock in my car and saw that I now had only 40
minutes in which to find the candle paint before all the stores closed for
the day, I ran back to my car and drove promptly to the recommended art
store.
At the art store, a sales woman slowly shook her head "No",
when I asked if her store carried any candle paint. I asked if she knew of
any such product, and she again shook her head and said, "No, I don't." I
then decided to try a different approach, and asked,
"If a local store were to
carry candle paint, what store might it be?"
The woman hesitated for a moment, before naming two craft
shops nearby. I asked which of the two she thought was more likely to
carry the candle paint, and it was obvious from her expression that she
didn't think either store carried candle paint -- but she named one of the
two stores anyway. I thanked her and hurried off, noting I now had only 20
minutes to drive to this shop before closing time.
I suddenly realized what a state of frenzy I was working myself into as I
became increasingly worried about whether I'd be able to find the candle
paint. This struck me as funny, and I took a deep breath to release the
tension that had been building up inside me... and decided that this would
be the perfect time to practice what I preach, and use reality shifting
techniques to help me obtain the elusive candle paint.
I relaxed as I drove, recalling a sense of being blessed with love. I felt
waves of love washing over me, and I recalled feelings of thankfulness for
every special thing in my life and everyone I love. I focused my attention
on these feelings of being completely and totally loved... and on letting
go of all doubts, worries, and fears.
I knew, from personal experience, that when I am in this state of being,
reality shifts in miraculous ways. I felt how much I love my daughters and
their friend, and how much they longed to make candles with the candle
paint. I felt their desire, and then released it... not holding it tightly
at all, but blowing it softly to the wind like dandelion seeds in the
breeze.
I was now at the last possible stop for the day, and I parked my car and
entered the store. I asked where the candle paints were, and the cashiers
directed me to the candle-making aisle, since they didn't know whether or
not they had any candle paints. I kept my feelings of love, gratitude, and
sense of divine adoration flowing through me as I walked... and was
delighted to see...
