Pastor Mark Hopper

 By Pastor Mark Hopper

I shared in my last article about discovering a major water leak at our house just before we left town for a week.  I was grumpy to have a water leak but grateful that we discovered it before we left on our trip.

I have built several room additions and helped on construction projects at our church.  I am willing to do repairs on our house, too.  The problem is that sometimes I don’t have the right tools or enough experience to finish the job.

Probably the smart thing to do is call a plumber who has the tools and experience to get the job done quickly and properly.  But, plumbers cost money.  So I thought I would try to fix the water leak myself.

As soon as we returned home from our trip, I changed clothes and got to work.  The leaky pipe was right next to the foundation.  It was the main supply line leading from the street to the pipe that enters our house.

I used my shovel and a hand tool to clear away the dirt and expose the pipe.  Thankfully, the water had dried up during the past week so I wasn’t working in a pile of mud.

I was able to cut the copper pipe below the leak and proceeded to solder a new coupling on to it.  Then I removed the valve leading to the sprinkler system and soldered a new valve on the line.  I also decided to put in a new valve on the main line to the house too.

I must say that it looked pretty good!  Progress was slow, but I was feeling confident that we would have the water on again by the end of the day.

When I got the last pieces in place, it was almost dark.  A neighbor came over to inspect my progress.  When I turned the water on again at the street, I still had a small leak!  After all of those hours digging, disassembling and repairing the water line, I still had a leak.  Bummer!

When we went to bed that night, we still had a leak in the line.  It was much smaller than the original problem, but we still had a leak.  We turned the water on briefly to shower and refill the toilets then turned it off again at the street for the night.

Early in the morning, I went back to the hardware store and got a new rubber gasket that I thought might solve the problem.  No luck – the leak was still there.  Finally, I came to my senses and called a plumber!

The plumber and his helper arrived in a few hours and they were able to fix the leak.  I didn’t feel too bad when I saw that it took him two tries to get it right!  Finally, no more leaks!

I don’t think we really appreciate having running water in our homes.  We turn the faucet and expect water in our sinks and showers.  It is very inconvenient to not have running water.  I am thankful for water that works!

I am also thankful for plumbers who come when we call and have the tools and experience to fix our problems.  Three cheers for plumbers!

I am also thankful that God comes to our aid when we call and that He is able to fix our problems.  A verse in the Bible says, “Let us draw near (in prayer) with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help (us) in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

If you have a water problem – call a plumber.  If you have a personal problem – call on God.  He is ready and willing to help you in your time of need.

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 Efreedb.org.