A Forgiving Deep Well

At Lake Annie Road House we have a small, hand dug pond. It sits quietly under an old apple tree and a towering maple and next to a quaint cedar shake sided, 90 year old building affectionately known as the Club House (although its current claim is as a garden shed). The cultivated Goats Beard, planted ages ago, forms an ever-expanding, lofting hedge on its north side. A bench sits nearby where David and I, for years, would sit in the evenings after busy, long days, listen to the quiet and talk.

Yesterday, feeling the little pond needed a quick, uplifting and topping off, I set the hose, fully open, to do that. Then I walked away.

I walked away to go about the day’s business. I cut two acres of grass, went for a slow, sweaty run on the Maasto Hiihto trails, met with a drone-flying realtor and her entourage as drone photos and a video were taken of our land, baked a chicken, did a load of laundry and hung it to dry, talked to my daughters and husband, baked two batches of rhubarb muffins, made another investment in the cleaning and organization of David’s wood shop, restored and painted a project model made by David for use with a previous commission years ago (I’m sentimental over any and all things he makes, even those things which seem temporary and uninvested), watched two episodes of my current favorite Irish home restoration show, paid some bills, read two chapters in my book, worked on my ATV trying to convince it to run again..that was a no go...(it’s been hibernating for two years) did the dishes and commenced ending the day.

It had been 12 hours since my initial hose setting and walking away when I noticed the water in the toilet bowl to be a tell-tale sandy brown. The lights instantly flashed on. As I have done so very many times before over the past 35 years, I abandoned the project and filled the pond to over-flowing; everything within 30’ of it getting a good soaking, I’d nearly drained our 340’ deep well once again. Will I ever learn? Probably not.

As the new day set about this morning, I checked the water quality (coffee must get made) and found clear, cold water flowing from our pipes. And I thought...Lord, this is just so like you! Your unfailing love and desire to make all things pure and new, to make us to shine as crystal clear is your heart’s desire. You are that forgiving deep well in our lives and Your mercies are indeed new every morning.