Pastor Mark Hopper

By Pastor Mark Hopper

The worst home improvement project is plumbing.  When you start a plumbing project in most homes, you can expect to go back to the store at least three times and often more.

Recently, my wife and I were in Arizona visiting her mother and working on some home improvement projects. One of the major projects I undertook was to change the valves on the water connections for the washing machine.  A main reason that plumbing projects are so frustrating is that you have to turn off the main water supply into the house before you can change out valves and other water supply outlets.  Once the water is off and old valves are removed, there is no turning back.  You are committed to finishing the job completely before you can turn the water back on.  There is no room for error or only doing the job halfway.  Once you start, you have to finish.   Inevitably, you run into a problem that you did not expect.  In my case, I was trying to replace the two valves that supply the hot and cold water to the washing machine.

On my first trip to the store, I bought two identical valves and they looked the same.  When I brought them home and tried to install them, one fit but the other one did not.  How could that be?  I went back to the home improvement store looking for help.  Although there were several people willing to help me, they all said I needed to talk to Mark.  He was an experienced plumber with a good name.  He was the one I should talk to.  It turned out that the man named Mark was rather shy and soft spoken, but I quickly discovered that he was both knowledgeable and helpful.  He agreed that my two valves were not the same.  One valve had “compression threads” and the other valve had standard “pipe threads”.  I knew pipes had threads, but I did not realize that there are different kinds of threads!

He said that I needed a transition connection that would enable both of the valves to fit the compression threads coming out of the wall.  No one else in the plumbing department could diagnose my problem, but Mark did.  With his help, some Teflon tape and a lot of pipe dope, I soon had the problem solved and the valves reassembled.  I could turn the water back on and life could return to normal.

I’m thankful that there are “Marks” in the world who can solve problems for us.  It’s great to have someone who is knowledgeable in their field to ask for help and advice.  I’m sure there is someone in your life who knows a lot about computers, car repair or baking cookies. You may have a skill or expertise that enables you to help others, too.  I hope that you will watch for an opportunity to help others like Mark helped me.  And, I hope you will say “Thanks” to the people who have stepped in to help you solve a mystery or problem in your life.

I not only said thanks to Mark, but I also sent an email to his boss to express my appreciation for Mark’s help and guidance in solving my problem.   I hope my brief note will result in some recognition or reward for my new hero named Mark.

 Pastor Mark Hopper is from the Evangelical Free Church of Diamond Bar, 3255 South Diamond Bar Blvd.  Sunday services are 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.  For more information, call (909) 594-7604 or visit http://www.efreedb.org.