Jun 26-27, 2021
From the Pastor’s Desk: Rev. Collins Kung
Without knowing it, I have lived in Richmond for 30 years, and the townhouse that I live in is more than 30 years old. In the past 5 years, my house has had several water pipe leaks. Fortunately, God blessed us and we found out in time so that there was no damage of our properties, and the Strata Management Company also repaired it for us. In fact, many units of our townhouse complex have the same problem. It is because the water pipes used to build the house at that time were “grey pipes”, which would break easily over the years and it does not meet the current building codes. There are still some water pipes in my house hidden underground. The situation is like a time bomb. I don’t know when it will burst and cause damages.
Praise God, in the last year’s Owners General Meeting, we passed a resolution to replace the water pipes of all units, and all the owners needed to contribute a special levy for the repair. Although it costs a lot of money, it solves the problem once and for all. Unlike in the past, the problem was only addressed in a piecewise manner.
At the end of April this year, we received a notice that the water pipe replacement project will begin in May, and I saw some units have begun the work gradually. I thought the management company would notify me in advance. However, on Tuesday May 18 morning, when I was preparing my devotion sharing for the pastoral staff meeting on that day, I suddenly heard the sound of an electric drill coming from my neighbor. I went to the neighbor to find out what happened. The worker has started the work at my neighbor’s house. I asked the supervisor, when would be my unit’s turn, he said: I knocked at your door this morning, but no one came to open the door, so we went to the next unit. I did not hear the door bell and missed the opportunity. But I think it was a special providence of God, because if the workers came to my house and started the work, I would not be able to have my devotion sharing in the meeting on that day. Besides, I did not have the time to prepare the place for them. To make a long story short, the supervisor promised me that he would come to my unit the next day, Wednesday, so that I had enough time to move the furniture and other things at home, and my wife was off from work for a few days, so that we had enough time to do the preparation work. This is indeed God’s protection and care!
Later, I learned that this replacement project was not only to replace the underground water pipes, but to replace all the water pipes within the whole house. So, there were many holes in the walls around the house and even in the ceiling, all of a sudden, the house looks like a battlefield.
For the following two weeks, I have to get up early every morning to shower and brush my teeth and prepare the place before the water supply was turned off. Every day I wonder if the workers will come to work or not. Since they work on a very irregular schedule, a group of people came to work on this part and another group will come for the next steps (such as patching the walls, painting, etc…). I felt that I have to be watchful and wait every day. They may or may not show up, and only on Saturdays and Sundays can they rest. Brothers and sisters, isn’t it our Lord Jesus telling us to be watchful and wait, and prepare for His return?
In the process of replacing the water pipes, because the faucets in our bathrooms were old and did not fit well with the new water pipe and caused leaking, the plumber suggested that we buy new faucets at our own expense, and they would replace them for us with no extra charge. As a result, we seized the opportunity and bought three new bathroom faucets for them to install for us. Now, my house has been updated and renewed, and the faucets are no longer dripping like they used to be.
Now, my house has been renewed, and I believe I can live in peace for many years. In fact, our lives must be renewed so that we can continue to serve the Lord. Brothers and sisters, how often do we come before the Lord and let Him renew our lives? In this water pipe replacement project, I experienced and learned four things: God’s divine providence, wait vigilantly, seize the opportunity, and renew my mind. Hope this reflection will encourage each other.