Ever have one of those days where a simple thing became very complex? Some years ago we bought a house and were in the process of moving in. One of the things on my to do list was to hook up the washer and dryer. I have become adept in doing this seeing how we have moved 13 times in 30 years. The washer and dryer were hooked up in record time and when I went to test the connections…there was a leak. Water was coming out from under the washer. I quickly turn off the water pulled the washer out and deducted the faucets and the drain thingy was bad. The drywall surrounding the faucets showed signs of leaks in the past. At this point I went into hyper drive. The drywall was torn off the wall, new faucets were purchased and installed, and I even bought a drain catch system that would prevent any further damage to the wall “if” another leak ever occurred in the next millennium. Day one in the two-day project was completed. Day two consisted of final prep to the wall, paint and baseboard installed before the final hook up of the washing machine. Everything looked great as I stood back and admired my handiwork. I was quite proud of myself; I had taken the bull by the horns and made a potentially bad situation turn out really well.
The moment had finally come where I turned the faucets back on. I don’t think I said any bad words when the water began to form under the washer although I must confess I was thinking a few! I quickly shut off the water and was totally perplexed by this sudden turn of events. I didn’t know what to do. After a few moments of silent meditation I decided to unhook the washing machine and begin troubleshooting. As the hoses were disconnected from their faucets I realized one more time how much of an idiot I can be at times. One of the hoses didn’t have a rubber washer! I had managed to take a very simple fix: a 5-cent washer, and turn it into a two-day, $100 project. It was simple…but I had made it complicated. Life seems to go like that sometimes. In fact, I think that’s really the issue with life. Within us is a desire to move to the simple things of life. This goes all the way back to the beginning in the garden. It was simple until we humans decided to make things complex with sin. I’m so glad Jesus came on the scene and brought simplicity back. He says he’s making all things new again. When questioned about the most important command he simply says: Love God, Love Others! It’s simple…I just hope I can keep from making this too complex!
Trying to keep it simple,
Marty
