Cleaning Up!

Last year, right after I put my pond in, we had a huge rainstorm and my pond filled with runoff from my neighbors french drain. He didn't know that it would do that. I didn't know that it would do that, but I was left with the effects of the muddy water contaminating my perfect pond. It took me all summer to repair the damage that was done. I had to be very careful not to shock my fish by doing some sort of drastic cleaning, so the process took all summer. It wasn't pretty anymore. It was filthy. I couldn't see my fish. I was a bit peeved to say the least.


The bottom line, because it was my pond...my baby, I was left to take care of what was mine. It wasn't what I had planned on doing for the summer. I wanted to do other things. I wanted to work on flower beds and creating pathways through my backyard for my kids to discover. I wanted to work on the landscaping around the pond. All of this was put on hold, because I was in charge of the clean up.


I have been dealing with something in ministry lately. As I was thinking about it, the memory of my muddied pond came into my memory and for the first time I feel like I can finally express how I am feeling.


I feel like I got this great pond established. It was perfect! Running beautifully. Perfectly balanced. Everyone was enjoying it. I was able to walk away from the pond and not watch over it 24/7 because it was established and running well. But now the water has been muddied up and I have to leave what I was doing and clean it up. It is not that I don't care about this pond anymore, because I do. But I have been out planting gardens and creating pathways. I have found such incredible joy in what I have been doing and I am fearful that I have to leave them all to come back to the pond and clean up the mess.


I want to be able to do it all and I do believe that "I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me." I am fearful though that weeds will grow over the paths that I have worked on and my flowers will wilt if I cannot water them. I know my first priority is my pond, because there is life in it that needs to be taken care of. But I am saddened to walk away from the path I was on.


I was enjoying the adventure.

"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Duet. 31:8