The Wonder of a P-Trap July 2015
Two weeks ago, if you had asked me, “What is a P-trap?” I would have responded that they were under the sink and they are to help me when I dropped my ring or some other item in the sink….you know you cut off the water, unscrew the trap and retrieve the lost item.
Today, I know much more. Why? You may wonder. Two weeks ago today, a mission team sponsored by our home church in Aiken arrived. One of the tasks planned during their time here was to run the plumbing from our deep well to the house and then to the septic hole. The house was already plumbed and ready. Or so I thought until the leader of the efforts asked me if we had put in P-traps? Not knowing the answer, I asked our Honduran Project Manager who informed me that “No, there were no P-traps.” Apparently, Hondurans don’t use them as they are used in the US.
As I was told we would need to dig out the pipes and add the P-traps, I wanted to know, “Why?” because this was going to involve A LOT of digging. This is when I learned that the P-trap serves a more important function: creating a seal so that the noxious gases do not enter into your home. Ok, then, where is the shovel???
What followed was days of digging out red clay dirt, rocks, etc. to install these P-traps; more digging to install pipes; replacing pipes; adding hot water pipes; and creating clean-out tees. One week later, we cut on the pump to see if the pipes would have any leaks…….and the first pipe connection in the pump house blew along with several others which had been connected but not glued; and others which didn’t have enough glue. Days later with all this corrected, our team began filling in the ditches to bury the pipes.
Honestly, I will never look at a pipe the same again nor watch water go down a drain or toilet the same. I never knew what all was involved in making it all work properly.
All the digging, changing, re-digging, covering, directions, misdirection, progress and lack thereof made me think of my relationship with Christ. When I recognized my sinful nature, my need for a Savior, and accepted the gift of grace extended through Jesus’ death, I became like new. I was sealed with the Holy Spirit. (Eph. 4:30) The pipe through which the love of Jesus flows was inserted into my heart and mind and glued permanently into place. Despite the wear and tear of this world, my sin and my failures, the seal cannot be blown off! I do have areas that need to be dug out, refilled with more of Jesus and less of me; but the Holy Spirit will continue to pour into me as long as I remain clean before the Lord – not from my own doing but from His.
I am grateful not only for our mission team who helped dig and re-dig; glue, cut and re-glue; and then re-fill; but more importantly for my Savior Jesus Christ. May I never grow too tired of recognizing His power and His grace! Amen y amen.
Roxanne