Wayne Weekly: “Are Your Gutters In Place?”
Written by Teddy on July 14, 2015
My daughter Janelle a few years ago developed an extreme interest in food. No, she did not begin consuming everything in her path, but began researching different methods of farming. She has become very knowledgeable about permaculture gardening. Permaculture gardening as defined by Wikipedia as,
“A system of agricultural and social design principles centered around simulating or directly utilizing the patterns and features observed in natural ecosystems. “
This past spring, Janelle encouraged us to dig out a garden (the more traditional kind) behind our garage. It couldn’t be large due to space, but it had to be longer and narrower in shape so as to access the produce easier. I dug out an area maybe 4 feet wide by 10 feet long, even surrounded it with landscape blocks and built up the soil with fresh garden soil I purchased at the local home center. Janelle brought in some seeds and plants and got the garden started. We were going to be enjoying a small variety of fresh vegetables during the season.
How exciting. I was proud of my contribution. I’ve planted a few tomato plants in the past, but never a bona fide garden. All seemed great until the rain came, and came, and came. The garden began to look more like an in-ground pool rather than a lot teaming with sprouts. Janelle went back to take a look, then looked up at the garage roof. “Dad, she said with frustration, there is no gutter on the back of the garage, all the water is running off directly into the garden!”
She was right. I never thought to consider the rain runoff from the garage roof. I had dug the garden’s one side almost directly under the roof overhang. I was drowning my vegetables!
I decided it was in the best interest of all to install a gutter ASAP. After a bit of frustration, and installing it twice before it was correct, I had some success.
Let it rain! The water channeling through the aluminum conduit was the answer. The drowning was over.
It’s interesting how channeling things can produce a heathy result. Our lives do best when boundaries set by God’s Word are adhered to. As believers, we produce a spiritually more abundant life experience by flowing through life in God’s canal. When we deviate, the rains come, and we risk introducing into our lives a flood of difficulties.
Make sure your gutters are in place.
