Recently the jet in the pool has been blowing a lot of bubbles which suggested a leak somewhere in the system. Today I turned off the pump and removed the clear lens on the secondary filter and discovered a small pebble had been lodged under the O-ring and prevented an airtight seal. I thought to myself, the fix couldn't be this simple of a fix, right? After removing the tiny stone I turned on the pump and I was pleased to see the water completely fill the secondary filter with bubble-free operation.
It amazed me a little pebble caused such a major problem which compromised the efficiency of the entire filtration system of the pool. We've all experienced a pebble in our shoe, a tiny object if laying on the ground under normal circumstances would never grab our interest. We can try to ignore the discomfort, but ultimately we need to stop what we're doing and remove the pebble which barks at us with each step. If a little pebble can crack a windscreen at high speeds, alter our gait when dropped into our shoe or disrupt pool filtration, it follows even small things can make a negative impact in our lives.
When foreign objects find their ways into our pool filters, shoes, or eyes, if we desire to return to optimal performance we need to take a closer look. It is one thing to take stock of the cleanliness of your hands or face, but it is far more important to consider our hearts. Our hearts and minds can wander and little lies can begin to creep in and erode our faith and resolve. Solomon wisely exhorted his son in Proverbs 4:20-27: "My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; 22 for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh. 23 Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. 24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you. 25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you. 26 Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. 27 Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from evil."
Solomon urged his son to take personal inventory of what he looked at, what he thought about, and the words he spoke. Just like bubbles in the jet revealed something was amiss so gossip, sharpness, and lies say something true about the condition of our hearts: such deeds ought to be repented of but there is also hidden sin to be confessed and forsaken. The temptation is to take stock of others, to measure our efforts against theirs. Solomon said, "Ponder the path of your feet." We are to walk in the good, old paths of righteousness blazed by Jesus and those who fear Him. The pebble under the O-ring provided a tangible example of how a little sin trapped in our hearts leads to major problems that affect body and soul.
It amazed me a little pebble caused such a major problem which compromised the efficiency of the entire filtration system of the pool. We've all experienced a pebble in our shoe, a tiny object if laying on the ground under normal circumstances would never grab our interest. We can try to ignore the discomfort, but ultimately we need to stop what we're doing and remove the pebble which barks at us with each step. If a little pebble can crack a windscreen at high speeds, alter our gait when dropped into our shoe or disrupt pool filtration, it follows even small things can make a negative impact in our lives.
When foreign objects find their ways into our pool filters, shoes, or eyes, if we desire to return to optimal performance we need to take a closer look. It is one thing to take stock of the cleanliness of your hands or face, but it is far more important to consider our hearts. Our hearts and minds can wander and little lies can begin to creep in and erode our faith and resolve. Solomon wisely exhorted his son in Proverbs 4:20-27: "My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; 22 for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh. 23 Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. 24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you. 25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you. 26 Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. 27 Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from evil."
Solomon urged his son to take personal inventory of what he looked at, what he thought about, and the words he spoke. Just like bubbles in the jet revealed something was amiss so gossip, sharpness, and lies say something true about the condition of our hearts: such deeds ought to be repented of but there is also hidden sin to be confessed and forsaken. The temptation is to take stock of others, to measure our efforts against theirs. Solomon said, "Ponder the path of your feet." We are to walk in the good, old paths of righteousness blazed by Jesus and those who fear Him. The pebble under the O-ring provided a tangible example of how a little sin trapped in our hearts leads to major problems that affect body and soul.