The Flush of Perseverance

A couple of weeks ago, our main toilet started acting up. When you pushed down the handle to flush, nothing would happen. Typically, if you tried it again, it would flush. It was a bit annoying, but overall, not a big deal. However, the problem has progressively gotten worse.

Now, if it doesn't flush on the first try, you have to pump the handle until it finally decides to flush. But, when I say you have to pump the handle, take note that it's not quite as simple as it sounds. No, as we've discovered, there is a particular way and speed at which you have to pump it. It will not work if you pump too quickly or too slowly.

Do you have any idea how ridiculous it feels to stand there trying to pump at just the right speed simply to get the toilet to flush? I feel like I'm participating in some bizarre game show called "Flush or Bust" where contestants must master the perfect rhythm to win the grand prize of... a working toilet.

The good news is, Jason has purchased the valve to replace the faulty one. The bad news is, he's been too busy of late to have the time to actually replace it. So, for the most part, I use the other bathroom because I feel absolutely ridiculous going to battle with the toilet every time I need to go to the bathroom (which is a lot, thanks to the giant cups of herbal tea I drink all day long).

There's something oddly spiritual about this toilet trouble. It reminds me of how we sometimes approach prayer. We go to God with our requests, and when we don't see immediate results, we start "pumping the handle" by trying different prayer methods, speaking louder, using fancier words, or employing what we think is the "right technique" to get God's attention.

But God isn't a faulty toilet valve that needs the perfect pumping rhythm to respond. He hears us the first time, every time. The Scripture reminds us in Jeremiah 29:12-13, "Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."

Sometimes God's timing doesn't match our expectations. Just as Jason has purchased the valve but hasn't had time to install it, God often has the solution ready but is waiting for the perfect time to implement it. His delays aren't denials; they're part of His divine timing.

During these waiting periods, we can either get frustrated and seek alternatives (like me using the other bathroom), or we can practice patience and perseverance. James 1:4 encourages us to "let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."

So the next time you find yourself repeatedly "pumping the handle" in prayer, remember that God isn't ignoring you. He's not requiring some special technique or spiritual formula. He simply asks for our sincere hearts and trust in His timing.

And unlike my temperamental toilet, God's responses never fail. They just sometimes arrive in ways and times we don't expect.