Something had to be done. For weeks, the water in our bathroom sink had been draining more and more slowly, and now the sink filled up dangerously quickly whenever I brushed my teeth, threatening to overflow. The pipe was definitely blocked.
My roommate Davina and I had tried several quick fixes: baking soda, dish soap, vinegar, all-purpose pipe cleaner from the pharmacy. All failed. Whatever was in there just had to come out. So, I unscrewed the plug with bated breath, and… well, I’m sure a graphic image of what I pulled out has already formed in your head. Disgusting as it was, cleaning this drain was also very satisfying and the result was simply outstanding. After removing the blockage, water gurgled happily down the drain.
Why had I waited so long to do this when the solution was so obvious? As I continued cleaning, I was struck by how my heart is like this pipe, a channel through which God’s Spirit wants to flow. Often, I put off dealing with dirt until it is hard for his love to get through to me. I try to fix this with more good deeds, more sermons, more ministry. As spiritual pipe cleaners, none of that works.
For days, the image of that clogged pipe kept coming back to me, as God showed me things that were blocking our relationship. I needed to clear it all out, create more space in my life for the moving of his Holy Spirit. I thought about how the children in our neighborhood were also in need of unclogging. In our ministry, we had tried to fill them with more and more good things, but it just didn’t seem to work. I realized that, after so many years of being influenced by what they encounter on the street, these children were already full—full of angry music, prejudices, cynicism and negative thoughts about God. There can be no room for anything new, until those blockages are removed.
As I reflect on these blocked pipes and hearts, I am painfully aware that there are no quick fixes. It is a lengthy process, with no shortcuts. Yet, Jesus is here, inviting us to pause, giving us courage to face our fears and sins, extending his hands to forgive, heal and cleanse us—until his love finally gurgles happily down into our hearts.
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
~ Proverbs 4:23
