After six years of dragging a hose around the yard to water our lawn, my wife and I decided to make our summer project be to install a sprinkler system. We saved up our money and I spent months learning what I needed to know to design and build my own sprinkler system. I bought bits and pieces on classified sites in order to cut the costs. I repeatedly drew my little plot of land with different trench layouts, head types, brands, sizes, etc. I wanted the most consistent and efficient system I could afford.
When the weekend finally came for us to start the installation, a dear brother and his kids came over for 10+ hours a day to clear trenches and install pipe, this being one of the main things i needed to do as I had to manage my heat system with https://eastwoodairlodi.com/swamp-cooler-repair/ https://eastwoodairlodi.com/swamp-cooler-repair/ . Finally, all of the pipe was glued together and in the ground. My friend made sure I knew how to set the sprinkler heads in the right positions and tie the time clock into the valves (among other pertinent details of irrigation for my soil).
My family and I spent the next week backfilling trenches. When it came time to tie the main sprinkler line into our existing water line I was confident I could do it. I’d just watch some YouTube videos, talk to some plumber buddies for tips, turn the water off, open all the faucets in the house and get to work. Piece of cake, right?
Well, soldering wet copper pipe together doesn’t work. The pipes have to be completely dry for the solder to fill the fittings properly. I couldn’t get my vertical water main to stay dry, so I did what any old seasoned plumber would do — I sent my son upstairs to grab a piece of bread. They say if you stick some bread in the line it will soak up the water long enough to solder the fitting and then disintegrate when the pressure is back on. My son brought me the bread, I stuck it in the pipe and had plenty of time to sweat the nice dry joint. The water pressure came back on and voilà, I heard the beautiful sound of water filling the pipes. No leaks. Perfect.
About an hour later, I noticed low water pressure throughout my house; I let it run and it seemed to get better. The next day at work, however, I got a message from my wife saying the water pressure was so terrible that the toilets wouldn’t flush. After a minute of research, I discovered my problem. I should have used white bread, not the whole grain wheat bread I had used (seeds, oats and all). I used the wrong bread!
All of my preparation, designing, trenching, layout, gluing, backfilling… all of that work with nothing to show for it. In fact, I was worse off than before. My water pressure was terrible and it was all because of the wrong bread. Thankfully, I got my bread out of the system and the water pressure returned to normal. I was reminded of an important lesson in all of this. Be sure to have the right bread.
In John 6, Jesus tells a crowd, ‘“Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”’ — John 6:32-35 Do you have the right bread? Are you trusting in something to do the trick for the moment, but in the end, it’s actually wrong and more hurtful? Or, are you putting your faith in the Bread of Life, the One who can satisfy spiritual hunger and quench spiritual thirst for eternity?! Jesus Christ. Let Jesus save us from all of our foolishness and mistakes. We can have confidence that He is who He says He is — King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
No longer dragging the hose,
Posted in A Word from the Pastor