My basement floor was soaking wet. As I walked across the rug, my shoes squished on the rug which was spread across the bare concrete floor. I knew what had happened, at least the source of the problem, because the same thing happened last year. Without going into too many of the boring details, my sump pump was not functioning properly and we ended up replacing it. I thought all the problems had been resolved by purchasing a new one, but I was wrong. Don’t worry if you don’t know what a sump pump is because I didn’t either until last year when ours quit functioning. A sump pump basically pumps water, in our case used water from the washing machine, to ground level. Somehow one of the pipes had become disconnected and water was pouring from the hole where the pump is located and soaking the basement floor. When I discovered this problem I basically unplugged the pump and decided to ignore the problem. In the back of my mind I knew I would eventually have to deal with it especially if we ever wanted to do laundry again, but for now I would push it aside. Attempting to disregard the issue proved frustrating because I lay awake last night thinking about it. When I woke up this morning I determined to go to the basement and revisit the monster.
When I pried open the cover I found a mess. Water had filled the hole so that the pump was mostly submerged making it relatively impossible to find the dilemma…at least that’s what I thought. My next move was a bold one because it involved electricity. I carefully plugged the pump in causing it to roar to life but also causing water to go everywhere. I quickly peered into the hole to see water shooting out of a pipe. Bingo! The pipe had just become disconnected. Thanks be to the sump pump gods! I ran to the hardware store and purchased the proper piece to fix it. When I arrived home, I called my wife down so she could see me actually repair something in the house. This is a rare occurrence. Although she made fun of me the whole time, I knew she secretly thought I was sexy.
After mending the pump and restoring order to our basement, I was angry with myself for being fearful. The predicament could have easily been resolved earlier if I would have been willing to take the time to face it head on. Fear is nothing more than being intimidated by what might be. When a circumstance enters our life, we immediately judge our potential to succeed. If we think we can do it, we proceed. If there may be a chance to fail, we are hesitant. I believe a follower of Christ must not be held back by fear. Of course our confidence is not in ourselves, but in God’s power to accomplish His plans through us. This confidence caused Abram to leave his country (Genesis 12). This confidence allowed David to defeat a giant (1 Samuel 17). This confidence resulted in Jesus going all the way to the cross (the Gospels). This confidence changed Saul from a persecutor of Christians to a preacher of the gospel (Acts). This confidence will allow you to….
