On the afternoon of Tuesday, July 21, 2026, rain poured from a dark sky.
In truth, I wasn’t surprised because it felt like the air was beyond heavy with moisture.
A body knew that at some point the sky was going to burst wide open, and it did.
At Trinity, I always worry about Eaton Hall, the original social hall of the church.
It is a basement below the Sanctuary.
Over time, I have figured out its bad habits.
This old room doesn’t like cloudbursts.
Keeping the drain clear at the base of the exterior stairs is critical. Keep that drain clear, and less water intrudes.
This afternoon, the challenge wasn’t that drain. No, the challenge came from the window wells that surround Eaton Hall.
The window well drains couldn’t handle the deluge. A few of the wells filled like a bucket under a spigot.
I learned a long time ago that water has a mind of its own. Some water from the window wells did come into Eaton Hall, but I could manage it.
When the storm passed, I checked the window wells from the outside. I saw the problem— lots of tree debris.
The next afternoon, I had a date with the window wells.
To get into the window well requires lifting up the heavy duty wire grate that covers the well.
The grate must be precisely angled across the top of the window well.
This prevents it from tumbling back over me.
Next, I use a broom to clear spider webs and other crawling creatures.
Then I position a short step ladder into the well, and I crawl over the three sided railing.
I step gingerly on to the ladder and get into the well.
I use a small rake, a bucket, and my gloves to clean up the debris.
In the first well there had been a lot of debris and water.
As I worked, I noticed a sluggish, water logged toad was in the well. He didn’t offer much resistance as I scooped him up with both hands.
I was able to place him on some wood chips outside the window well.
With that well clean and clear of debris, I climbed out and checked on my friend.
It would take several minutes for the toad to acclimate. His eyes seemed to be carefully studying me.
Finally, I nudged him toward the grass where he continued to rest. I checked on him one more time, and then he was gone.
During the course of the afternoon, I made two more rescues of small slippery frogs that had fallen into the window wells. They appeared to be less water logged than my toad friend.
In the Richmond area this summer, we lost two young men by drowning in local pools.
A couple of weeks ago when were enjoying the beach of Surf City on Topsail Island, North Carolina, we learned that a man was pulled from the ocean in distress. Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful.
I’m not a strong swimmer. I do not take chances in any body of water.
In the Bible, Noah and God took their chances with each other.
I wonder what God saw in Noah who is described as a righteous man.
God must have had a hunch that Noah, despite his age could build the ark, collect the creatures, and explain to his family what God was doing.
God was displeased with how things were going on Earth. The words corruption and violence were used to describe how we humans were making their way through the world.
Sadly, corruption and violence are still at work today.
At times this summer with the extreme temperatures and humidity, I wondered if God was trying to bake us into being better people.
With the heavy rainfall on Tuesday afternoon, I wondered if God was returning to his forty days of rain to flood out the world again.
I was happy when the last window well had been cleared of debris.
My guess is that God would be happier with us if we made the commitment to solve the troubling debris in our lives that divides us.
We appear to have the will to do lots of things, but I’m not sure we have the will to solve our troubling debris.
Why is that?
Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote: “The will of God to which the law gives expression is that men should defeat their enemies by loving them.”
I did not love crawling down into those window wells.
Yet, I knew if that debris wasn’t removed, only more severe problems for Eaton Hall would develop.
Within the window wells of our lives isn’t it time that we crawl down inside and work to remove the debris—the division, the incivility, the disrespect that is hurting us?
Are these the enemies within our souls that are preventing us from being the people that God’s heart needs us to be?
might be baloney 