Running water is something we all need in our homes.
The trouble for me comes whenever I have to do some plumbing repairs. I just don’t seem to have the right kind of luck, because there always seems to be a little drip when I finish a plumbing job. I’ve learned that a little cup in the right location and given the right amount of time will eventually fix that problem.
My problem this time related to the hot water heater.
I was recently under the house when I discovered a sporadic leak. I found out that the water was coming from my pressure release valve on the hot water heater. I changed the valve but found the new value was also releasing pressure when the hot water heater completed a heating cycle.
After some consulting with friends and a few plumbers, it was determined that I needed a thermal expansion tank on my line. Several people told me that I could install it myself. After a few prayers, I cut my waterline and began the process of installing the tank. I asked every question I could think of before I started except one, how long do I wait before I turn the water back on? I rushed it and turned my water on too soon. That popped one of my new joints and caused me to return to the hardware store for some new parts.
After waiting a couple of hours the second time, water was finally restored to my house.
It was amazing how long two hours seems when you are waiting for a basic necessity like water. I can’t tell you how many times I reached over to turn the water on. All this happened around dinner time so we really needed some water to get dinner ready. Time seemed to crawl and the desire for water seemed to grow. I am happy to report that the water is flowing smoothly throughout the house, and as far as I know, there are no leaks. We also fixed our original problem with the hot water heater. Whew.
I realize that being without water for several hours is no big deal in the grand scheme of things. But it taught me several lessons.
Prayer is an important part of everything we do, but we still need to wait and follow the directions. I think it’s also important to appreciate the everyday things and not to take them for granted. When you lose something basic like water or power, it makes you realize how lucky we are to have such conveniences in our lives.
On a deeper level, I believe that many of us are living our lives without the basics for our spiritual growth. We expect and hope that God will be with us and protect us, but we don’t want to take the time to talk with him. Prayer is a basic necessity for our spirits just like food and water are needed for our physical body. Our physical bodies can’t live for 5 minutes without air, yet many people never bother to dust off their Bibles and read the living words of God. God’s word is what sustains us and helps us to grow, yet many people feel they can live without its nourishment.
I know that many people believe in God, but they never attend church. I agree, churches are full of sinners, but that doesn’t mean we should avoid them. I am a sinner and I need the members of the church to help me grow and mature in my Christian walk. God never expected us to make our spiritual journey on our own.
There are times that I desperately need other people to help me make it through the day. In turn, others also need me to be there for them in their dark and difficult moments. We need each others prayers, support, encouragement and challenges to make it down the spiritual road.
I want to encourage you to renew your relationship with God. It’s easy to slip out of the habit of praying and reading God’s word, but these are necessities you can’t live without. Connecting up with other believers may be challenging, but a good thing for spiritual maturity. These are the spiritual necessities of life, priorities you need to maintain for good spiritual health.
Reconnect with the Father and allow the spirit to flow through you, renewing and energizing you with faith, hope and life.
Doug Creamer teaches marketing at East Davidson High School. His Web site is www.dougcreamer.com.