It has been quite a week. I have been trying to irrigate the walnut orchard. Three times the PVC pipe coupling at the mainline from which the pipe laterals extend has come unglued and blown off where the riser is attached at the pressure point. I would get the water pump started and proceed to check the lines for any plugged sprinklers (using a wire to unplug the orifice). Then nada, no sprinklers shooting out spray, no water pressure. Nothing. I immediately knew what had happened. A “T” valve had popped off and the mainline riser opening was gushing water instead of out the sprinkler pipe lines. My daughter ran to turn the pump off before a huge lake of water could form. I hoofed it over to the line. Sure enough, again, the offending part lay cattywompas in a lake of water with water bubbling up out of the mainline and making a muddy mess. Not fun. Crazy!
Then I had to flush the lines after each repair was made. Each repair necessitated a wait time for the water to settle, new glue, wait time again for drying, and then we would flush the lines to rid the dirty water, and try again. After the third break in a row, my farm manager and I were out of new ideas. We decided to add screws on in four places to anchor the coupling more substantially. After all this, grit in the lines was clogging the sprinkler orifices and the irrigation had been delayed by three days. I was getting anxious to complete the irrigation. It has been quite the job to get the sprinkler heads cleared up. The ninth line, the furthest one out, has been the most troubling. I spent two hours in the evening and also an hour or more in the morning on just that line alone trying to get all the sprinklers full-functioning. For the second set, I flushed that line again because it was obvious that rocks and particles were still in residence! The grit is like slake, not sand. It got in the lines from where the break was from about three feet down in the ground.
As of this writing, we are now on our second set and we’re getting there. Fewer sprinklers are in need of unplugging. In time it will work out, the water will become free of dirt and particles and the problem will be solved, at least until we have another break in the line. An orchard farmer must be vigilant in keeping the trees hydrated to keep the crop and trees healthy and of good quality.
This scenario makes me think of how it is similar to the spiritual life. When clutter and catastrophe hits or even sinful choices come into our lives, it takes extra work and cleansing in our spiritual selves, even dealing with or eradicating some of the problem areas, to get ourselves back on top and in good working order, much like I need to do when I replace the damaged sprinklers or “T” valves. Bad properties or wrong behaviors must be moved out of our lives or cleansed through repentance and confession. It is time consuming, laborious work, but necessary if we want health and wholeness in our spiritual lives. Once a wrong choice has been made, it takes many right choices to repair the damage or to remediate a change. It often involves other people, making it even harder and more complicated. However, if we don’t do the hard work, take the time and effort, the impurities will cause on-going, continuing destruction in our spiritual health. The longer the delay in dealing with it, further wrong choices or other “bad stuff” will affect a greater, harmful effect. If untreated and not addressed, the harm can be long lasting and detrimental to one’s walk with God.
God is in the business of restoring us in all areas of our lives. That’s what He does and does well. It is our business to engage Him is this process by becoming willing to give Him our problems, stuff, and issues, and then working with Him in finding helpful, spiritual people, scriptural truths that relate, and practical, meaningful ways to meet the spiritual crisis, and, when needed, clean up our lives. It is always worth it. We become well and healthy and full-functioning people who are able to be useful and productive.
N. L. Brumbaugh, with something to think about.
PURCHASE:THE MEETING PLACE by N. L. BRUMBAUGH
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