October 20 - “The Sinister Installation”

They came into our neighborhood yesterday. No announcement. No flyer on the door saying they were coming. No warning of any kind. One moment we had water. They next it was just gone. What was happening? Was the drought worse than we expected? Did our new water line in the street somehow collapse? Or was it something more … sinister?

I cautiously opened the front door and glacéd around. Two vehicles were parked there that were not there earlier in the morning. Each had one of those magnetic signs on its side with large letters and no easily decipherable explanation. Several men were present, each wearing one of those highway warning vests. I asked one, “Did you shut off the water?”  And the answer came, not from that man, but from somewhere behind me. “Yes, we did.”  

Frantically, I whipped around. Well, as “whipped” as I could accomplish with a sore back. It took me a moment or two to achieve focus, but there he was, hidden amidst the branches of the oleander bush, sitting on the ground, wrench in hand, looming over the opening in the ground that was our water meter site. What could he be up to? And why the secrecy?

I turned and directed my complete attention in his direction. Pleasantly enough, he explained that they were replacing the meter and the water would be off for about five minutes. Hmm … new meter, huh? Sounded reasonable enough, though, so we started on our walk. Before we could get even around the corner, though, an alert sounded on my phone. That certainly caught our attention. Who - or what - could that be?  

I hurriedly pulled out my phone, then slowly flipped it over. Someone was ringing our doorbell. A test, perhaps? I was suspicious, especially since there was no video evidence that anyone was there. Immediately, we turned back to investigate this new phenomenon.  

All was seemingly as we had left it. The one fellow who had talked to me earlier began his walk past us. I stopped him and asked if he had been the one to ring our doorbell. At first he simply stared in our direction. Finally, as if a light bulb had been turned on, he nodded vigorously to indicate that it had indeed been his guilty finger attempting communication. “All was well,” he assured us. The new meter was installed, and water was back on. 

So now we wait … and watch. What behind-the-scenes purpose could have been involved here? 

What is down in that hole, anyway?  I mean way down there.  Or would we never find out?

And what sinister use could be made of the now-easily accessible water usage information?

Were we being tracked by … I shudder to think. 

Isaiah‬ ‭54‬:‭10 says, “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed, “says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

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Father, thanks for the great attitude of the installers we met. Keep them safe in their ventures. Amen.