"...the joy of the Lord is (my) strength." Nehemiah 8:10
The water pressure for our hot water faucet in our master bathroom sink had not been working properly for some time. Turn the cold water faucet on, and out came a steady stream of cold water. Turn the hot water faucet on, and the pressure dropped substantially. In addition, because the pressure was low, the water never really got hot. And to top it all off, what water we did get wouldn't drain properly. It was a problem, but not one that required immediate attention. After all, we had other bathrooms to use, other faucets.
Still, it was frustrating enough that after a month or two, Ian finally decided to take a look. First, he had to clear out the cabinets underneath the sink. Then he had to turn off the water under the sink. When he realized there was a problem with the valves, he had to make a trip to the store to buy new parts. Then, the water had to be turned off outside the house. But the lid over the water cut-off valve had become covered with mud and gunk. So, he had to find a shovel and dig it out. Finally, when the water was cut off, he "dug into" the project, tearing apart the pipes and replacing the valves. Unfortunately, when all was said and done, the water drained much better, but the hot water still wasn't flowing!
Never one to give up easily, Ian decided that the next course of action was to tear apart the faucet itself. He turned off the water again (this time under the sink was sufficient). After a few minutes, he called for me. When I came in, he was tightening up the faucet handles. He picked something up and handed it to me. There in my palm was the source of all our problems, a tiny piece of what-appeared to be coal--no larger than a grain of rice. He turned the hot water faucet, and ta-da! Hot water flowed freely.
Just like the situation with our faucet, I have been letting the circumstances of my life recently "clog" my heart. As a result, joy has not been flowing freely in or through me.
As I thought about my husband and the work he had to do so that we could have correct water pressure, God spoke to me about the "blockage" in my heart.
When the pressure in our line first started to fade, we thought if we waited it might correct itself. It didn't. Time didn't take care of the problem. The faucet could not fix itself. It took someone who knew what he was doing, someone who could take care of the problem.
The "bits of coal" in my life are real. The circumstances are confusing. They are aggravating, and they aren't going away on their own. But they don't have to block my joy. In 1 Peter 5:7 God tells us to, "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."
It's something I already know, but it's always good to be reminded. God wants to take care of all the clogs in my life--the itty bitty ones and the big ones too! And when I allow Him, then His joy will flow freely through me.
Of course, this is easier said than done. God may have to do some serious work in order to get that blockage cleared. He's going to look around. He will have to move things. He may even have to dig. He may have to turn off a few pipelines into my life. He may replace a few worn out parts.
But when I let Him do His work, one thing is for certain, joy will flow freely.