Unexpected Problems

 Last week I had an unexpected event.

I was doing the dishes when the hot water pipe under the sink broke.  

I would like to say that I handled this problem with calm and poise...but...honestly, there was a lot of yelling and running around.  I did manage to turn off the water main quickly and then mitigated the damage to the kitchen, but it wasn't pretty.  

Events like this happen to us all the time.  Problems that come without warning...things that you need to deal with immediately or there will be consequences...things that you can't blame someone else for (yes, the pipe broke and maybe we could blame the manufacturer...but that's a pretty distant blame!).  

As Christians we have spiritual problems popping up as well.  So how do we deal with those type of problems well?  I'll use my Water Problem as an example.

1. Notice there's a problem! 
When the water pipe broke I actually thought it was the A/C unit having an issue.  It wasn't until I turned off the A/C that I heard water running - then saw the evidence coming out the kitchen sink.  
Spiritual Application: It is tough to have spiritual eyes to see a problem in our lives, that is why it is good to have others around us who know the Lord and can point out issues with love and compassion.

2. Stop the Source of the Problem.
I turned off the water main but I could have turned off the water right under the sink.  I had forgotten that handle was there and it caused the water to run longer. 
Spiritual Application: Spiritually speaking, when we know how to halt sinful thoughts, pray over fear and listen to God's voice we actually stop an issue before it harms us.  It is amazing how powerful worship, prayer and spending time with God is for our spiritual well-being.  

3. Care for Vulnerable and Affected Areas. 
I stopped the spread of the water throughout the kitchen. I used towels to sop up water that was near walls and cabinets that would be damaged with long exposure.  
Spiritual Application: The fallout from a spiritual problem could affect relationships, attitudes and even physical health.  Spending time restoring those areas will help mitigate lasting damage.

4. Don't be Afraid to ask for help. 
I did call Dom to tell him what happened and make sure I was on the right track with my response.  He came home to help and I showed him all the things I noticed as I was cleaning.  He had expertise that I didn't and I was happy to let him take over. 
Spiritual Application: Looking at spiritual problems, God has designed the Church as a community of believers that help each other out in times of trouble.  Each of us have peaks and valleys in our spiritual walk and shouldn't be too proud to ask for prayer or support when we need it.

5. Give it Time.
We ended up using a heavy-duty bouncy castle fan to dry off the hardest hit areas.  We left it running for a couple of days to stop mould from building up in areas we couldn't see.
Spiritual Application: We hope that problems can be fixed with a one-stop shop mentality, where we pray and it's dealt with.  But problems don't always work that way.  They creep out again and again if they haven't been dealt with properly.  Take the time to heal and to get the support you need.  This goes back to the pride issue because we somehow think to be weak isn't acceptable.  

I'm sure there's much more to consider when dealing with problems, whatever type they are, but I hope that there is value in realizing that God gives us little examples like my water pipe to help us see our way through those larger problems.  I'm happy to say that our kitchen is dry, we have a new hot water pipe and there wasn't any lasting damage!