Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Need to Vent?


So the plum family is building a house. I am supposed to be blogging that work in progress, but I was hoping to do it chronologically with photos and stories of how its going. We are already starting the framing and I feel like I'm behind. And I realize everything to me looks like a spiritual lesson, so to post a picture and no insight to go along with it seems to be empty. I know, I know everything doesn't have to be a spiritual event...can I just say "in my world, YES IT DOES" I don't understand why God created me that way, but He did. I know it drives the rest of you crazy, but if He wants to drive you that way, well, take it up with Him. So here goes. There comes a point early in the building process when the plumber comes to do "rough plumbing" (I am learning so many construction terms! Thank you Lord!). Rough plumbing refers to the sewer lines and drains for the sinks, toilets and bathtubs. (It is preferable to lay these pipes before the concrete foundation is poured, so that we don't have big sewer pipes criss crossing on top of the carpet and tile in our houses) Anyway, what I didn't know is that every drain has a vent pipe that goes up through the wall to the ceiling, through the attic and to the roof. This explains those little pipe things everyone has sticking up through the roof. Haven't you ever wondered about those pipes? Like did someone before us have many little tiny fireplaces that have since been removed? I mean they look like little chimney pipes right? What a ridiculous idea, but that was the thought in my head all these years without even thinking about how silly it was. Ok, back to the point. They are vents. I guess every drain needs a vent for the air to escape so that the water can go down. Like in an IV tube, when there is an air bubble that keeps the fluid from flowing, air in the drain pipe with no place to go would prevent the waste water from exiting and going to where we surely want it to go...away! Or we can hold milk in a straw simply by preventing air from displacing the liquid so that it will flow out the other end. OK...the bottom line is that a drain needs a vent or the junk stays put.

It occurs to me that if I am having trouble, something that I have been bugged about, anxious about, convicted on; fretting over, raging inside about, someone I am having silent lectures with, or worse, not so silent; stuff I just can't seem to get over... I might just be wise... to check my vent. The vents for the toilets go straight up, no turns, no kinks, no detours. They don't connect to other vents through some horizontal pipe between them, each one shoots straight up through the roof to the sky. "Where am I venting?" Or perhaps if there is a problem that won't go away, "where on earth am I venting?" Um Um Um...doesn't that explain a few things. And so I tried it. You see lately God and I have been at odds over something very dear to me. I thought we had a plan and I thought we settled it years ago. I knew my part and I knew God's part and that was that. Well the time has come and it occurs to me that I am disappointed that God didn't give me what I told Him he would. And I had a very good idea about what this time in my life was going to look like and it even had everything to do with honoring Him and glorifying Him and it is not playing out right. Now I have not been angry really, but getting fuller and fuller of junk. And I know about junk and getting full of it. Just like a drain that is not draining, pretty soon, the junk starts backing up and it smells and it's ugly and it doesn't just effect me, but everyone within smelling or seeing distance. It can get ugly That's the plain truth. Let it go on long enough without a proper vent and it gets very ugly. We put drain-o or the like into a stopped up drain and what is the first indication that the mess is starting to clear? Air bubbles. The vent is allowed to do its job and the drain begins to clear. Alright then. Vent...and so I did. Straight up to the heavens. I told God I was disappointed and that I thought we had a deal. I told Him I felt let down. I told Him he gave other people my plan, and asked Him why not me? I told Him I thought it was unfair and that He was playing favorites and that I wanted to be His favorite because He was surely mine and I didn't understand. I vented and vented and vented. And in my heart He kept motioning with His hand to keep it coming, get it all out, every last piece of sewage I had been holding onto. His head was nodding in understanding and His hand kept beckoning... and then..."Are you finished?" "yes, sir I guess I am" (Job comes to mind about now). "Is that rough plumbing you were looking at?" "yes, it was" "so you haven't yet had the final inspection?" "no sir, we've just gotten started" "Can you see that the house is yet unfinished?" "um hm...oh" "I'm not finished with this yet. Are you?" "well, no, but it looked like maybe you were" "I'm never done until it is completed" "yes Lord, that is your way. Thanks for letting me vent".

1 comment:

Julie said...

I loved reading this!! I too believe that everything is a spiritual event! After reading this I immediately thought "everything is a spiritual E-VENT!! We must look up to release it and feel the ease from He who provides the air!" I have missed your posts!
By the way, I recently said "I need a little help here" and God sent more than a "little". As always He provides more than we can ever imagine! I have been overwhelmed by His unending love and attention to every detailed need, I have finally just said "okay I can't repay all the hands you've sent to help so I give them all back to you and pray that you bless each and every hand abundantly".
Love you!