If you ever watched the Beverly Hillbillies, you probably remember Granny talking about the “cement pond”. The “pond” was a beautiful clear blue pool that was the setting of many of their adventures. When we bought our house it too had a “cement pond”. The problem with ours is that it looked like a real pond or swamp. The first time we looked in it we could see about six inches deep and it had swimming critters in it! It had sat for two years with nothing done. It had been covered at one time, but the cover had disintegrated and now some floated and some had sank. Water weights had held it down and a few remained on the surface, but others had fallen in and submerged or partially floated. When we removed the first water weight from the pool after being half submerged, something jumped at us and I screamed! We eventually got a pump and began to remove the algae and critter infested water. AS we got to the bottom, sludge remained and had to be shoveled out. We pressure washed the surfaces then had an acid wash applied to rid it of any bacteria or infestation. Then we sealed the pool with a coating. (the sealant was $200 per gallon so it must be liquid gold)

The sealant left the pool clean white and was ready for the top coat of paint. You will never see the sealant we used because it was covered the next day with a beautiful blue top coat, but it plays a valuable roll. It sealed the pool from any minor cracks and it smoothed the rough surface of the concrete. The liquid sealant protects from moisture getting into the pool wall as well.

In our spiritual lives we have a seal as well. He is called the Holy Spirit. He is described in detail in John chapter 14. He was given when Jesus was taken into heaven, and He comes into the heart of believers at the point of salvation. He is also described as The Helper, Guide, and He leads us into all Truth. He only speaks what He hears from the Father. Ephesians tells us we are sealed with the Spirit until the day of redemption when Jesus comes back to take those who believe home to be with Him. Wow! That is encouraging. No matter what comes in our world we can know His abiding presence! Just like the pool, He seals all our cracked and broken places and prepares us for what is ahead. He comforts, directs, encourages and so much more. We will never see the Holy Spirit in person just as you will not see the sealant for the pool, but you can definitely see the affect He has. The affects are found in Galatians 5:22-23. They are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. The more we listen to the Spirit’s guidance and choose to follow His instruction the more we will see the effects of the Spirit on our life.

In the near future we will fill the pool with fresh water and we too will have a beautiful “cement pond”. It will be safe from minor cracks and will be smoother on tender feet. Best of all it will not have critters!