On the third trip to the pool store hearing the same question for the third time, “Is your water green or blue”  Is it cloudy or clear”? I was a bit miffed.  Actually, miffed would be an understatement for how I felt at that moment.  I had taken in sample after sample of water for testing and for the last month almost I have pampered, poured, vacuumed and shocked the water in our pool in an effort to clear it of the algae problem we had let grow over the winter.  We have thrown at it what seems like an enormous amount of money and still no solution.  The water remained cloudy and a light blue-green.  Well, really more green than blue but who’s keeping track here.  For certain I would say this has been a trial by water and that I had learned a thing or two from it.  In fact I could go so far as to say there are three things I could take away from this fiasco, but first let me tell you how it all went down.

Over the long holiday weekend I threw some more chemicals at the cloudy murky mess, I tested it, vacuumed it and lamented the situation to my husband every chance I got.  He is the closest thing to a chemical/technical/pool man that I have and to me he has knowledge about such things that I can only guess at.  So for three days he politely listened as I groused around about the condition of the water in the pool and its stubborn refusal to turn crystal clear at my command.  He lovingly came to my assistance when I could not get the pump to coöperate and could not reach sufficiently over the side of the pool to vacuüm deep into the recesses of the middle; and he hesitantly agreed (sure honey whatever you think) when I announced that if things did not look better by the weekends end I was going to hire a professional because this momma was frustrated and wore out from trying to get it fixed.  I mean come one would you want your babies to dip into a slightly milky kind of lime green pool of water even if the pool lady said it was ok?  Me either!

As a last resort I had gone and gotten a clarifier to try to clear up the cloudy mess; I was told the algae that was dead floating in the water would bind with it and drop to the bottom so it could be vacuumed up and out of the pool thereby clearing up the water.  I used half the bottle and waited.  The next day it was relatively clear and I could see large flecks of things floating and swirling in the water as it was filtered.  I thought well if half a bottle works this well I will use the other half and see what happens.  My husband was called out over the holiday weekend and I attempted to manage the maintenance myself.  Well let me tell you nothing went right.  I couldn’t get the hose to fill with water.  I dropped the vacuüm head and handle into the pool.  I emptied out the pump once I got it hooked up because I didn’t have a handle turned correctly and I kept getting confused about which one needed to be on and which one needed to be off.  Finally out of frustration I turned everything off; drug the vacuüm head, hose and all out of the water and walked away.

I did go back and put away the vacuüm and hose but left the pump off because I was still confused about what to turn on and what to turn off; where is a good pool/technical/chemical man when a girl needs one?  Any who.  I went out the next morning to check on my algae experiment and to my surprise and delight the water was blue and the bottom was filled with all the greenish blobs of algae that had settled during the night.  I did a little Jesus praise dance right there, called the girls up out of their slumber to come look at the beauty of the almost crystal clear water and then proceeded to text my hubby and ask when I could get his manly help to get it out of the pool without disturbing the pristine conditions I had somehow managed to whip up.

Well, he came home early just to help me and as we were vacuuming it for what seemed like the 150th time God spoke softly to me these three things.

1. Take care of your problem/things/relationship/ministry/career or whatever you are doing by doing it the right way and completely the first time. When you do you don’t have to go back and try to fix what you failed to do before.  Often times it requires more energy, more time, and often more money than it would have originally.  And being good stewards of what God gives us is biblical.  Plus, obedience brings blessings.
2. When there is a problem don’t give it a second to breathe, advance rapidly till there is a solution.  This spoke volumes.  At times I had worked on an issue until I found a resolution; other times because perhaps it was tedious or distasteful I had worked on it until I grew tired of it and quit.  Or when there failed to be an immediate solution or results gave up.  This often led me to have to go back and rework ground that if I had just stuck with it until the end would not have had to be redone (see #1).  The enemy does not grow tired of messing with the people who belong to Jesus, therefor; we should not grow tired of advancing the Kingdom of God.  Take back the ground from the enemy and then take more.
3. Be still and look to the one who can clarify ALL things.  When your working your problem, sifting through difficulty or being drained by a tedious issue and you see no end in sight.  Instead of giving up and throwing in the towel only to pick it up dirtier than before.  Take some time to stop, rest, pray, get into God’s word and in His presence through worship.  This brings light into the darkness and clarity into murky waters.  This does not waste time, on the contrary, this brings hope, provides peace, answers questions, and directs our actions all while it unleashes God’s heavenly army against the enemy.  It brings into your situation everything needed for a victorious battle.

Friend let me ask you this.  Is there a problem and issue or maybe a relationship you have struggled with for what seems an eternity?  Have you grown weary after expending an exorbitant amount of energy at it only to have to redo something when you pick it back up to try to resolve?  There is a solution that is far greater than any problem; His name is Jesus.  Get a bible, get in the word (read it), ask for clarity from the One who can see your issue from the best advantage point.  Worship Him through song and your obedience.  Surrender to Him and allow Him time to minister to your wounded self.  Let him instill hope, give peace, answer some questions and direct your actions before you begin again.  Pray for His heavenly armies to fight for you, come along side you for a victorious battle.

Copyright © 2016 Melanie McKinley. All Rights Reserved.