Do you have "Freeze Protection" ?

At five a.m. I hear the grinding motor

It awoke me from my sleep

You know that feeling...you've heard that sound before...but you can't place it

Ahhhhh....it's the pool filter

What's the pool filter doing running at 5am?

Hmmmm...oh yeah...it was supposed to get cold out last night

yup...(I say groggily) but this is only November...and it's Southern California

But there's that motor sound again

Struggling against itself

Ahhhh...freeze protection must have activated the pool filter to automatically come on

to prevent the water from freezing

But why that awful sound?

The water level in the pool must have dipped below it's proper water line

and the filter is being forced to work over time

pumping the water through the pipes so that the filter system can work correctly

struggling against itself

so to speak...

I climb out of bed

already anticipating that rush of cold air

knowing that I'm going to have to climb behind bushes

find the hose

figure out why the auto-fill on the pool is not working

and

get that pool filled with water...pronto

(Note: Mr. SSS is sleeping soundly with his ear plugs tucked securely in his ears)

Okay...found the hose

UGHHH...nozzle on hose is froze to the hose

(no...this is not the start of a new Dr. Seuss book)

Hmmm...canola oil....maybe if I can just lubricate the head....

NOPE...won't budge

Frustration!!!

Okay...let's see if we can get the auto-fill turned back on...

Nope...pool guy must have turned it off for the season

Must be a way...

Nope...I can hold it on manually...but

between getting stabbed by the sharp pointies of the palm trees

and stooping into the damp bushes

(with goodness knows what type of little creatures)

this...my friends...is NOT going to work

Ahhh...do I wake the hubby?

He hasn't been sleeping well

It's a Saturday...his day to sleep

The grinding of the motors is driving me mad

so it's off to roust Mr. SSS

Creeping toward his bed-side I'm armed with an apology

Sorry, honey

Couldn't figure this one out on my own

I rub his arm

Gingerly he sits up...a bit startled

Removes neon orange ear plugs

Proceeds to pool area

...calmly he explains that the hose can still work

just secure the clip over the nozzle which will force the water out

the auto fill can be simply turned back on

just flip the green switch at the bottom

(okay...but now the sun has poked through and he can SEE)

(which I couldn't an hour before)

but I did note that he turned the outside light on

which, I must admit, never crossed my mind

He also smugly mentioned that I could have just manually

turned the filter off

because...

the water would have NEVER frozen

(okay...so why would they install a feature that is not necessary??)

Before long

water is filling the bit too empty pool

the motor is starting to relax

the water features are not straining

and the pool is running as it should

filtering the water through the necessary channels

so the water doesn't freeze..

Ironically,

at nearly 7:30am

the freeze protection shuts off

The pool filters stop

All is quiet and still

Hmmmmm...

God...are you talking to me?

This little drama

reminds me of my life right now...

My "Freeze protection"

GOD

has been working over-time

Okay, God...

I can't figure this out on my own....

Life with a prodigal

can cause that to happen

I'm realizing that

my "Living Water" line

cannot

dip beneath a certain point

because

the motors start racing

the filters start straining

and, in general,

there's just a lot of unpleasant noise!

Mostly internal noise

You know...the committee in your head

those voices that cause you to

Doubt

Those voices that shout

shoulda, coulda, woulda

The voices that tell you,

"If only"

"If only you had seen this coming..."

"If only you had been a better mother..."

"If only you had acted sooner..."

Those destructive voices that can cause your

motors to strain...

your self-worth, to plummet

to struggle against itself...

in ways that God never intended...

So...

what can I do?

I can fill myself up with that Living Water

And in times like these...

I need that Water

I need the Word

NOW

I need it to fill those places that hurt

and still those voices that condemn

I need to do all that I can do to keep my motors running smoothly

so they don't wake me up in a panic

and stir me into unproductive action...

And,

make me

FREEZE

with emotions that can incapacitate me...

I run to Him who gives me strength

BUT....

I believe His intention is to

provide me with what I need

BEFORE

the freeze occurs....

BEFORE

the motors start straining

and the noise becomes deafening

And...to...

when necessary...

turn myself off just for a little while

just temporarily...

while I re-group...re-focus

God wants me to come to Him

relax in Him

and...

"Be still...and know that He is God"

He is a BIG God

and even though

sometimes I fail in filling up...

and I let me emotions run amok...

I can be grateful that I have access to

The Great Freeze Protector

Who

...never sleeps

...never needs to be rousted

...is always awake and ready to help

...Who's light is always on

Who will, once again

help me to

stabilize,

and fill me with

Living Water