During the Texas blizzard last week, several of the pipes at my work cracked. These pipes were outside, and they control the water flow and temperature of the small therapy pool at my clinic. The water level of the pool was understandably dropping and there was more cold weather ahead, so the general manager and I decided to drain the pool to keep as much of the structure in tact as we could.

The empty pool was a great opportunity for me to clean it. Yes, I clean pools at work- it’s incredibly glamorous- try to control your jealousy! I’ll spare you the boring details. A good portion of the dirt and water sank down into the 6 foot well portion. There are 2 steps to get down into this portion of the pool. I stood on the steps with a large broom and kept pushing water and dirt through a small drain hole. I couldn’t refill the pool until the dirt was gone. The water was about 2 inches deep, and I didn’t want to get my shoes or feet wet or dirty. The process was taking forever. I could feel my frustration growing. I considered just letting it drain slowly on its own but I knew that without me forcing it down, the dirty water would linger, delaying my next step.

So, I did what any impatient person would do- I took off my socks and shoes and stepped into the water. My brown feet disappeared in the muck. Down in the well, with the filth, I had a better angle and could push the water out faster.

Although I was disgusted with being in the water, I was pretty pleased with my decision. The process was now moving along well and I knew that I would be finished soon.

And then I had a revelation…. this was a metaphor for my life. In the last several weeks, I had been dealing with anger. I had been trying to handle all of my own filth and muck from a distance. Staying socially distant from it and fooling myself into believing that I was “dealing with it”. But I was doing it from a far- and growing frustrated at the lack of progress. I knew that if I wanted to actually get rid of the anger and bitterness I was dealing with, I needed to stop trying to fix it from the surface. I needed to get in it. Get my feet dirty. Get the broom and deal with it. Get it done and move onto the next step.

I want to encourage you- If you’re like me, and your dealing with some sin in your life, attack it full on. Don’t try to attack it from a far. Roll up your pant legs and get ready to get your feet dirty. It’s a much better result.

~Shiney