A Spiritual Lesson From My Sprinkler

You know those mornings when you wake up feeling like a superhero, empowered to face anything life can throw at you?

Well, that's what I felt on Tuesday. I was up early, coffee brewing, and had my day all planned out. Even Cali, my wonderful and trusty pup, was excited to get outside early before the sun had time to fire up.
 
As I was putting her leash on, I noticed the sprinklers weren't going off. No biggie, I thought. I'll just add that to my list. I had extra time and was in superhero mode. After a leisurely visit to park to meet with up with friends, Cali and I were back home, ready to tackle the day. Including this unexpected sprinkler issue.

It took me no time to isolate the problem and just as quick I started digging. The yard was a little more recilant than I anticipated. But superhero mode went into overdrive and before long the hard ground was puddy in my hands.

Then... bam!

Water shot up into the sky. That buried rock I thought I was wrestling with turned out to be the main waterline for the entire system. My perfectly planned day was officially kaput. It's a funny thing, isn't it? How life often throws us curve balls when we least expect them. 

As my yard began to turn to mud, I began to think about those guys in the Bible who were fishing when Jesus walked on wet sandy shoreline. One minute those guys are catching fish, the next minute they're following Jesus. Same thing with Matthew – one minute he's collecting taxes, the next he's a disciple.

I've learned a lot from experiences like this (after all, it's not the first time I've hit this sprinkler line). When life springs up in your face, it's important to be in the present moment. And to know where you buried the shut-off valve. It's good to live in the moment, rather than getting too caught up in plans. Because, we all know how things just sometime happen. And it's not always good.  
 
Of course, Jesus wasn't just talking about the hole in my backyard when he said, "Be ready." He was talking about something much deeper. He was saying, be prepared for whatever life throws your way. Be awake, alert, and ready to respond to God's call. "You never know when the master of the house is going to return."

But the way I see this, isn't so much to be prepared for the "second-coming" or the "apocalypse" that we seem to be creating ourselves. I see it as a time to be with God in this present time and space because this is where life happens in real time. It's where good things happen. And where bad things happen. And not just to me. But to other people as well. People need our help.

Which means this is the space where God needs us to be. Right here. Right now. Covered in mud and water, ready to do whatever God needs us to do.

---