Tonight I enjoyed something that I have taken for granted most of my life - a long, warm shower. In general, I try to conserve water, but I have been especially diligent over the last few weeks.

The Issue Was Not A Lack Of Water.

I have faced water shortages while living overseas. It is amazing the steps you have to take when you are not sure if your water supply will last. Over 780 million do not have access to an improved water source, (source) but I am not one of them. This fact is astonishing!

My water issues are because the water I have used was not draining properly. The first signs were gurgles in the sink when flushing the toilet. We advanced to slow draining from the sicks and incomplete flushes. But the issue escalated to the point that water would not drain at all in the bathroom sink.

I am blessed to be the husband of an incredible wife and 5 amazing daughters. One of my hidden talents is cleaning hairballs out of the pipes underneath the sink. With tools in hand, I attacked with ferocity, but there was no clog. Nothing! Zinch! Nada!

I had to resort to calling in a professional plumber. He informed us that there was no clog in the pipe (I knew that already). Oh, if things could have been that easy. The problem is that the lateral lines from our septic tank were clogged up.

Septic Systems 101

A lateral line carries away liquid waste away from your septic tank (which holds the solid waste). Sorry about all of the potty talk :) With the lateral lines clogged, the septic tank fills up quickly because there is no place to go (pardon the pun).

Dealing with sewage should always be one direction - down and out. One clogged sink is not the issue. The problem is that the entire system is connected so if you have a major problem downstream then you will have a major problem at every exit point.

Potty Drama

Fortunately, we never reached the point of sewage backup. But as a family of 7, we need to flush the toilets, take baths, wash clothes, and wash dishes. I was afraid that at any moment what went out might come back. I cringed every time I flushed the toilet. I prayed that doing the laundry would not result in a major disaster. I told my kiddos to flush less and spend less time bathing and brushing their teeth.

We had been working with our landlords and there was no quick solution in sight. Permission from the county would not come quick enough and we had reached the point where nothing else could be done. So we .... moved! I will save that story for another day,

Final Thoughts

There has got to be some life lesson from "potty drama". I think so!

I am reminded that what we put into our bodies comes out. I believe that the same applies to our mental, spiritual, and emotional wellbeing as well. A simple way to summarize this idea is "trash in, trash out."

First, we need to focus on preventing the junk that we often allow to creep into our lives. I will be the first to admit that when I stop guarding what I allow to enter my mind, I become a product of the negative, shallows, and often destructive things that I think about. The first (and best) defense in fixing the problem, is not to allow it to happen in the first place.

Second, we need to find ways to remove the junk once we acknowledge that it exists. Life happens! You have a lot of control over what you put into your body and mind but you can't always control the people around you who are bringing in the mess from their lives.

We all need a way to remove the junk. And I highly recommend that you make sure your removal system moves in one direction - down and out.

The junk should only go one way. If you think you have a problem like this (whether in the physical world or emotionally/spiritually/mentally), seek professional help. Don't let all of those problems come back a second time! That would not be pretty.

@SumatraNate

---

Image Source: https://pixabay.com/en/bathroom-dilapidated-disrepair-691341/