FINALLY - I CAN TAKE A SHOWER!

Well, upon being properly rested after the late night return from alumni weekend, I decided to start a project that I have been wanting to do. My tub drips round-the-clock and I wanted different fixtures. So, using a kit I had purchased last fall, I set to work Sunday evening - totally clueless to where this would lead! You know, inspite of the turn of events, I just want to thank God for His foresite. You see, for Sunday the 7th, I had planned on doing this very project and in anticipation had purchased some materials, including 10 ft. of 3/4" copper pipe. Now, I wasn't thinking things through like I should have and after I got home relized that those items were not what I really needed. But I think God was at work because those very items were used up almost entirely after things went "down-hill".

After I have removed some of the old plumbing. I wanted to not take out too much of the galvanized steel pipe. The cold water line is the one that takes the 90* turn to the left. You can see that there has been leaks in the past.


El Gato keeping an eye on the happenings!

The new valves and tub line in the holes - precleaning.

My work space. I should have had an actual drop cloth and a spray bottle with water...but a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. I wasn't able to finish the project Sunday night, which meant I had to go all night without any water! :(

Wee! Everything is hooked up! Time to turn on the H2O and check for leaks! The end is in sight!!! This was around mid-morning on Monday.

MAYDAY! MAYDAY! MAYDAY! We sprung a leak sir! Well, the cold line screwed into a main line in the basement and had rusted enough that my working on it partially broke the pipe off at a "T" junction. That meant I had to removed the "T" section from the main line in the basement...problem is that I would have to cut a section of pipe to get the "T" out!!! Around this time a fair amount of stongly tinged mild frustration began to set in. Steel pipe isn't easy to work with in my opionion since it has to have threads, can't solder it. This was fast turning into a major project! I had class tonight! I had given up on getting to Algebra today to take a test but I couldn't miss biology lab. I was about ready to start calling people to see if I could utilize their shower. But thankfully prayer prevailed. I realized I had that 10ft. long section of 3/4" copper pipe which would serve wonderfully as the replacement for the main line segment that I would take out. All I'd need would be two more fittings!

The new cold line!

Cold coming out from the basement. Can see the copper/steel junction on the main line.

Given the space I was working in on the main line in the basement I had to do a little detour for the cold supply line to get around the floor joist. As I started to solder the joints, I relized the pipe on the left was the gas line!...great, what next, my house blows up!? Well, thankfully nothing blew up and the solder joints held despite not being too pretty and thankfully the house didn't catch on fire either!

Ah...the other end of the pipe...

Nothing like a little molten solder down the sleave to get one's mind back on task!

Well, its done, the shower works and Tuesday I will scrub the shower! I finished putting away my tools at 4:30PM...that gave me exactly one hour to get a shower/clean up and eat an actual meal before leaving for class. You know I did get a bit frustrated -things fairly quickly went from so-so, to bad, to worse. I don't have awhole lot of patience with "things", especially when those "things" don't cooperate. Many times in life stuff happens. We complain about it and question why God doesn't fix the situation or make it all go away. Could I have done without the added expense, time and frustration that this whole excursion caused? Without a doubt. I would have been happy and thankful without that headache. But you know, I wouldn't have had a chance to practice patience. I would not have had to turn and leaned on God if things had gone smoothly. I would not have had to, with God's help, stop and take my mind off of the problem and focus it on Him.

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee." ~Isaiah 26:3

God gives us the opportunity, the privilage, to have peace in the midst of trouble and difficulty if we will but lean on Him.

In order to lean on Him, we have to have faith in Him. Even though I was not a happy camper, even though I didn't feel happy, content, rosey, or even feel like letting go of the mess and placing it in God's hands, by faith, I can lean on Him, I can give the mess to Him.

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:" ~Romans 5:1

"Faith and feeling are as distinct as the east is from the west. Faith is not dependent on feeling. We must earnestly cry to God in faith, feeling or no feeling, and then live our prayers. Our assurance and evidence is God's word, and after we have asked we must believe without doubting. I praise Thee, O God, I praise Thee. Thou has not failed me in the performance of Thy word. Thou has revealed Thyself unto me, I am Thine to do Thy will. (Letter 7, 1892)"

"Faith is simple in its operation and powerful in its results. Many professed Christians, who have a knowledge of the sacred Word and believe its truth, fail in the childlike trust that is essential to the religion of Jesus. They do not reach out with that peculiar touch that brings the virtue of healing to the soul." (Redemption: The Miracles of Christ, p.97)

One one of the several lessons learned: Enoch walked with God, he did this through continually communing with God...what if I had made continually communing with God a habit - how would this have played out when things got messy?