Thursday, February 3, 2011

LEAKY FAUCET

Drip…drip…drip.

A leaky faucet – is there anything quite so annoying?

The woman had listened to the steady, rhythmic, dripping for weeks.

At first, it had sounded as loud as a drum – especially at night. She’d lie in bed, trying to ignore it – but the more she tried, the louder it seemed.

After awhile, though, the noise started to fade into the background. She didn’t even notice it during the day. And at night, it began to sound like the gentle ticking of a long-loved grandfather’s clock…

…until one day, she forgot about it completely.

Drip…drip…drip.

That is, until the day the new water bill came.

OH DEAR! The woman couldn’t believe how high the bill was! It wasn’t possible that all those little "drip–drips" had added up to this much water! The bill had only been a LITTLE higher during all those weeks of dripping – that’s why she had let it go for so long. Now it was almost three times as high. There must be something wrong, she thought to herself. So she called the water department.

"Excuse me, but I think there’s been some mistake on my bill. It’s way too high."

"Do you have a leak?"

"Well, yes," the woman replied, "but it couldn’t have used up THIS much water."

"You’d be surprised how quickly those "little" leaks add up, ma’am."

It’s funny, the woman thought to herself – I never thought such a small thing would cost me so much.

So, she called the plumber.

The plumber got under the sink, started tinkering around – the woman went about her chores, knowing that the "little nuisance" was getting fixed.

"Uh, excuse me," the plumber called out from under the sink.

The woman walked back into the bathroom.

"Yes?"

"We’ve got a problem here."

OH NO.

"What’s wrong?"

"Well, it seems that this leak isn’t your only problem. How long has it been going on?"

"Oh, only a couple of months or so."

The plumber began to explain to the woman that the leak was only the "tip of the iceberg." That hidden behind the wall, there were pipes that were leaking, too. Water had been steadily doing its silent damage.

"I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but we’re going to have to tear the wall out."

Deeply chagrined, the woman gave him permission to proceed.

Several hours later, she heard him call out again.

"Uh, excuse me…"

OH NO!!

"Now, what’s wrong?" the woman asked with trepidation.

"Well, it seems that the plumbing isn’t your only problem. You see, the real problem’s up on the roof."

"The roof?"

"Yup, there’s a leak on your roof. And what’s been happening is this – that leak has let water come into your pipes, which corroded them. Then, that corrosion led to those pipes leaking, and then that made your faucet drip. This has been going on for a LOT longer than a few weeks. Let me tell you, if you had taken care of this right away, things wouldn’t have been this bad."

The woman hung her head – now knowing that she had let a small problem hide a huge problem – and knowing that she could have, should have, done something about it a long time ago. Now it was going to cost her a fortune.

"Fix it, please. Just fix it."

It can be the same way with sin.

Drip…drip…drip.

We let little sins invade our lives. At first, they niggle at our conscience. They bother us. But after awhile, we don’t notice them so much. And before we even know it, they feel like "friends." They’re comfortable, and acceptable.

Until we see the cost.

And the damage…

Sometimes those "little" sins mask a deeper problem. Without our knowledge, those sins are causing corrosion. Our relationship to the Lord is being damaged, and we are blithely unaware.

And those sins are going to end up costing us more than we could have ever dreamed.

Because the real problem is our hearts. When we allow the protective covering of the Holy Spirit to be compromised, when we turn from His guidance and His conviction, we make holes in the "roof" of our hearts. The "water" of unholy actions and unclean thoughts breaks through – and we are being damaged, far more than we can see.

Let’s take the time today to assess our "heart home."

Are there any "leaks" to fix?


BLOG = “Blessedly Leaning On God!”

10 comments:

  1. Hi Sharon -

    I just got off my knees in prayer in which I repented for my sins known and unknown and asked our Lord to reveal to me whatever I needed to know...

    On my knees, I attended to any leaks and got up assured that I have a guaranteed INSURANCE POLICY through the precious blood of JESUS.
    It is with that blood that the policy was signed, sealed and delivered to me. Thank you, JESUS.

    When we maintain pure hearts, our Lord provides full coverage for all - past, present and future. Praise Him for complete coverage.

    State Farm, Progressive, Allstate and the rest of the bunch, all bow to THE STATE OF JESUS WHO IS SECURITY AND PEACE ABOVE ALL.

    Romans 8:38,39 - KJV
    For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

    Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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  2. Amen. Well said. I love it.

    I also stand guilty of having let little drips go untended in the past. Just as you wrote, they always... ALWAYS... add up to a bigger problem.

    I think God gives us the drips for the same reason he gives us small aches and pains, as a gentle reminder that SOMETHING needs tending.

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  3. You have me motivated to take a long, hard look and see if there are any leaks in my heart home. Awesome writing!

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  4. Hi Sharon,

    Great blog, we sure do need to watch out for the little leaks, before they become a massive flood. God Bless - Nita

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  5. Ohhh blessings Sharon...and what a wonderful self examining drip of a story! I wish I had made it here earlier and saved me all those repairs!

    I'm so thankful for how Jesus washes and repairs the little drips if we come to Him and admit them when they begin, not after only the destruction takes place or corrosion sets in. What an excellent comparison!

    Much different than I imagined but the drip held me all the way through... kinda like our "drips" and "leaks".

    I'm so glad that Jesus send the Holy Spirit right away but we need to hear His prompt and guidance, we need that conviction of the drip.
    We need to know the Source of our strength. We need to put on our Protection from corrosion. We need to see the enemy that is infiltrating even when we think it's harmless. No one can pay the price for the repair bill when the damage is beyond repair but Jesus comes ready to restore, repair and remake that which we allow to leak far too long, many times unaware of the problem.
    This was very well told and the analogy was perfect!

    In actuality, the pipes allowed the walls to be saturated with water and caused mold (maybe black mold) which caused respiratory problems, which alerted me. The Breath of the Holy Spirit in me could not breathe freely in that environment and I had to move all my bedroom out to another room...as the walls were washed, cleansed and replastered yet to be done. The roof situation was an entirely different problem but it had to fixed before the bathroom leaks could be attended to... to close off the water from the reservoir from the tank above (tinaco).
    Now I would make the analogy to the tank above as to the Source of the Living Water open or closed. Rather than the source of the problem.

    You do such wonderful works with real life situations and spiritual implications! Your excellence is clearly showing, English teacher... your onomatopoeia is the best!

    Jesus fixed my leaks and I'm on the mend with Him to restoring ones from my past so they never creep back into my life. He is my insurance (as lioneagle wrote), my assurance, my payment, my righteousness! I admit my weaknesses alot easier now and I'm quick to notice the sound of an impending downfall. I still run away rather than confront problems, but I run to Him. Asking Him to lead me and help me.

    Thank you Sharon. You are a gem! and one great writer and sister in Christ. I learn so much from you!

    Peace, love, JOY,
    Peggy

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  6. I will tell you something too about a leak - it is small at first, but left unchecked it expands and gets bigger with time - then you are in trouble!

    Sandie♥

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  7. Good good point...yes I need to check my house...and allow the master plumber to show me where my leaks are...funny I probably know where they seem to be coming from but need to examine the damage that is deeper...thanks for the convicting words

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  8. I love this. I always do!

    And I suffer from this problem - both literally and spiritually. (Seriously, you should have seen my water bill last month! Darn leaky toilet!)

    Those "little" sins that get the ball rolling are like a gateway drug to bigger, "better" sins. You know what they all are though? Sin.

    We talked in Bible study this morning about the effect of one negative thought being what leads to the bondage of more and more and more consuming negativity. We have to hold that first, seemingly "innocent" thought captive because it can be SO dangerous.

    This was timely for me today. Thank you, as always, for your inspired words! I'm so grateful for you!

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  9. Sandra - You have wisely invested in the only insurance policy that covers EVERY circumstance in this life and the next! Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus - not even leaky faucets!

    Debbie - Yes, there is a grace in the way that God lets us know when something's amiss. How I know this - little drips have a way of turning into huge tsunamis! Better to call the plumber (God) and get them fixed right away!

    Alisa - Thank you. It's a good idea to have times of regular "home inspection," isn't it? I know there's always at least a problem or two that I need to take care of!

    Nita - Yes, so right. Little leaks become massive floods. I have (unfortunately) found that to be true in my life. It's so much easier to take our "leaks" to the Lord in the beginning, and get our hearts back in "working" order!

    Peggy - I'm thinking maybe you should write a post about this, too - but using your perspective on the tank being the Holy Spirit! That was a great idea - I loved it. I'm also turning quicker to the Lord when I detect leaks, and I am more aware of them, too, in the first place. Won't it be wonderful when we're with Him face to face - and we won't leak EVER again?!

    Sandie - I can't tell you how true that is. Trouble is the only thing that's at the end of an untended leak!! (I've learned the hard way on that one!)

    Janette - You're right. The plumber knows where to look. And it's true, we often look ONLY at the leaks, because we think it's just a surface problem. Fortunately, God can repair the deeper damage too - even if it means tearing out a wall!

    Jennie - Sorry about the leaky toilet! I love how you called them "gateway" sins! How very true - one things lead to another to another. The downward spiral of sin. I wish I could master the ability to hold more of my thoughts "captive" - all too often, I seem to let them have the "run of the house" if you know what I mean. There is nothing "innocent" about thoughts that lead us down a slippery slope!!

    Thanks for your thoughts, my friends. Keep those "leaky faucets" in check - keep in touch with the Plumber every day - and take care of small sins before they become big ones.

    GOD BLESS!

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  10. If I were on your shoes, I would have dreaded every moment the plumber would call me since I know he would bring me nothing more than bad news. But it's as he said – addressing leak problems while they are still little is the best move to take since they can really escalate into bigger ones. Though I feel sorry that you have to experience all these, I like how you've incorporated what you learned on your leaky faucet into life's values. And now that you've learned the lesson, I really wish that you're not having leaks now. Carmella Vancil

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"So [I] have been greatly encouraged in the midst of [my] troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. It gives [me] new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord. How [I] thank God for you!" (1 Thessalonians 3:7-9)

Thanks for your comments - it is such a joy to be sharing my journey with friends like YOU!

(NOTE: Anonymous comments will be removed. Thank you for understanding.)