Leaky

Every time something breaks in our lives, I have this major hesitation to let my husband know.  The look of disappointment that crosses his face does not compare to any other look he makes.  This look is a mixture of dissatisfaction and disapproval with a little sadness thrown in.  I dislike this look.

It seems that I somehow blame myself though, and take this look to heart.  The sadness and guilt overwhelm me.  Only recently have I let my husband in on the secret of my self-flogging ritual.  He, being the unparalleled husband that he is, has prayed over me many times since I let him in on my dark habit.

So, what am I getting at here, and what does this have to do with leaks?  Where is the place where self-loathing and sadness are overcome by bright lights and disco balls of gladness?  First I must tell you the sad, but comical, tale of the plumbing, the migraine, and the bitter root...

One day, I was in the shower after Nate left for work.  I heard this bubbling, glubbing sound coming from the toilet.  It was unusual so I peeked my face out of the shower & lifted the lid to find air bubbles, boiling in my toilet.  Hmmm...  Strange, if I'd watched horror flicks at any time in my life I might have expected some demonic slime monster to come out and drag me through the pipes.  However, I instead thought "how weird, I wonder how to make THAT stop." I decided to finish my daily cleansing ritual, and as I did I noticed the tub had stopped draining.  Then, without hesitation I heard a loud gulp from the toilet and then the tub drained quickly.  Hmmm... again!  We've had a leak in the guest bathroom, but there's no way that could be related.

I told Nate about this since it was so bizarre, and then nothing came of it for a few weeks.  Then, one fine Friday morning, I was laying in bed while HE was in the shower and I heard it again... that familiar, haunting sound of Mr. Bubble Toilet!  Then, I heard Nate plunging the TUB!  This could not be good.  I sunk lower beneath my bed covers and thought simultaneous thoughts of "now he believes me" and "oh no, what next?!"

Let's just say we had a long weekend ahead of us.  I will leave out all the disgusting, stomach wrenching details of Nate's migraine and having to vomit in the kitchen sink since both the bathrooms were inoperable!

We had a plumber come out first thing Saturday morning since we just could not find the clean-out drain to fix the apparent clog somewhere in the line.  Our plumber was just as stumped, and after dismantling a toilet, he took a shovel to the front yard in front of the master bath.  He dug, and dug, and dug until "thump" he hit the large PVC pipe that connects the plumbing to the sewer. Then he started digging along the pipe away from the house, until he found our clean-out drain.  It was buried about 3 feet down and about 5 feet away from the house.  He did not have to unscrew the lid to the clean-out because the whole clean-out pipe was not attached!  He slowly lifted the dislodged pipe. and within this pipe, buried away from sunshine and air, was this large, independent from any other living thing, root!  It was in a perfect cylinder of poo and dirt and had been surviving within my plumbing.

As the amazing, talented, wonderful plumber pieced our pipes and toilet back together, I felt the Lord tugging on my heart.  It was our bitter root.  Deep, buried, without proper nutrients, it was still growing.  It caused "minor" leaks here and there that we stuck ineffective bandaids over until we had to dig it out, 3 feet down, 5 feet away, where it lodged itself.

I am so thankful for God's grace, and the fact that He is the only effective means of removing bitterness from our lives.  Nate and I set to work digging out our roots of bitterness, and while we know that God is not done with us yet, we have felt more freedom and joy since that disgusting event!

"Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God.  Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many."  Hebrews 12:15