My Father-in-law has taught me many things through the years, but recently I really heard his words echoing in my mind. He once told me, “Rob, you never how a repair job is going to go. It always takes longer than you’re thinking because something always goes wrong that you’re not expecting.” Last week I was faced with the task of replacing a bathroom faucet. The job was known to me because I had completed it several times before in different bathrooms so I believed that I was in for a thirty to forty-five minute job. As I crawled under the sink to remove the old faucet, I noticed that the fasteners that were securing the faucet assembly were severely rusted. I tried to move them but they wouldn’t budge. Then the thought occurred to me, “They are so rusted, perhaps they will just break off if I just hammer a slotted screwdriver into them a few times. I aligned the screwdriver and presto! The first fastener broke off! Feeling confident in my make-shift approach, I aimed at the next fastener, and hit it…and hit it….and hit it and (well you get the idea). This thing was not budging and it was now standing between me and the installation of the new faucet. Finally, with the use of lots of elbow grease, and WD-40, I was able to bend and break the fastener and the faucet was free! It was now about 7:30 PM and I said to Lisa (who knew I was having problems), “Well, I think the hard part is over. I should be done soon.” As I crawled under again, I examined the valves and I noticed…..they were leaking. I was really tired and to make matters worse, I knew I was going to have to make a mad dash to a hardware store with the hopes of finding the exact valves I needed. It was at this point that I realized that if I could not fix this we were either going to have to call an emergency plumber or I was going to have to keep the water supply in our house shut off all night. The second option was not really an option for reasons that I won’t go into now, so off to the hardware store I went. On the way over I started praying and asking God to give me success. The good news is that the valves were in stock and I finished installing them at around 8:45 PM. I installed the faucet the next day and realized that the whole job took me about two and a half hours.
Unless you are really into plumbing, you may have been reading this blog thus far and saying, “Okay, Rob, what is the point of you sharing all this?” The point is that life is often like home repairs. Problems pop-up, they are inconvenient and difficult and often bring with them unforeseen difficulties. The lesson is that we are routinely going to face them and wisdom says that the quicker we invite God into our problems, the better. You may have thought me foolish to pray to God about a plumbing problem but all you need to do is read a few verses of Psalm 139 to know that God knows when I am plumbing and when I need help. He is just waiting patiently for me to ask Him for assistance.
I am not sure when your next problem with its twists and turns is coming your way, but God is ready to help you with whatever it is. You will need more than elbow-grease. Don’t hesitate to call out to God. He knows all about plumbing and anything else you may be facing.
“You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.” – Psalm 139: 2-3
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rob