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
