Our lake is getting dredged. It is a big deal. Seriously. In the big scheme of things I guess it really isn’t but on our little end of the lake it is happening and will be happening for quite awhile.
We live in a gated community (don’t think we are all fancy, though) and we have 4 lakes in the community. They were normally dredged every 3-4 years and then about a decade ago they ceased doing that for some reason and the result is a lot of silt build up. Add to it that they built a new practice area on the golf course and had inadequate silt fences installed and our little cove ended up with a lot of extra dirt .
Extra silt means not as much lake to enjoy and since we are all about enjoying the lake they are dredging it. Slowly. Very slowly.
So the process is fairly simple. The excavator swings the bucket into the lake, takes a big bite out of the lake and then swings around to the awaiting dump truck to dump the load. Repeat. As often as needed until truck is filled up. Dump truck pulls out and new empty dump truck takes its place. All. Day. Long.
As is my usual response to seeing something like this I see an object lesson. Let’s say the lake silt is the gunk in our lives that we aren’t proud of. The things that we wish we had never done. The words we wish we had never said or the words that we wish we HAD said. Those things that make us inwardly cringe when we think about them.
Then along comes this magnificent excavator with a big long reach and a huge bucket that is ready to be filled up with all of those things that we just absolutely need to get rid of. That’s what God is to me. A huge excavator with a limitless amount of energy and capacity to take all of the bad stuff in my life and get rid of it. All of those things that are holding me back from being the true light that He wants me to be. All of those things that limit me and restrict me. God can take those all from me and let me be filled with His goodness.
So thank you to the Connestee Falls maintenance crew who are reminding me daily of the true length of God’s reach into my life. The big CAT on the lake is a visual reminder that God is all powerful and can move mountains (or silt) if we acknowledge Him and allow Him to do just that.
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9 Comments
Leave a commentWow! That is a huge project. I hope it isn’t too disruptive. I love your analogy.
At our lake place, we had to have the marina dredged. Like you, too much dirt, so not enough water for boats. Now, a few years later, we have spent a fortune because the water level has risen (all over) and we need huge rocks to protect the marina from being pounded away. So, for sure it shows how powerful God is! Thoughtful post, Beth Ann
Well that’s not good! But what a great visual of God’s power.
Patience is not one of my virtues. I will keep trying.
I miss my kayak out on the lake and the fisher men and the reflections in the water especially the full moon.
I’ve never seen a lake being dredged but we see it all the time at the local beaches, especially after a big hurricane. They dredge the ocean to add more sand to the beach if there was a lot of erosion due to storms.
I like your attitude towards it. Instead of looking at it and being constantly annoyed, you try to look at it in a more productive way.
I love it when God gives us a lesson right in front of our eyes with something that most people wouldn’t see a connection to. This one is spot on, Beth Ann!
I’m sure this is disruptive for those of you living nearby. I know we have a house being built in the lot behind ours (after living here with only woods back there for 28 years) and the constant beeping of the earth movers has about driven me nuts. Soon it will be the hammering but….I hear the people building are a very lovely young couple with one young son. That will be different as over the years all the kids have grown up and moved away and it’s just a bunch of us old retired folks now. Anway, back to your big CAT…you’ll enjoy the lake more this next summer so I guess it’s worth it. I hope the golf course contractors are paying for at least some of it given they didn’t set their stuff up right.
For a minute there I thought you would be writing about a cougar or bobcat. Great analogy. And here’s hoping for a healthier lake.
I agree with everyone a great analogy. The Lord is amazing how HE bring his trues in different ways sometimes.