The other day, I got up early to check the weather and see if conditions were good for playing pickleball. But the overnight rain hadn’t stopped, and the courts were definitely not playable.
As I walked back into my bedroom, I stepped into some water.
I flipped on the light to see how much water there was—and to figure out where it was coming from.
The wet spot on the floor was small, but when I looked up, I saw the source: a light fixture directly above it.
You don’t need to be an electrician or an engineer to know water shouldn’t be leaking from a light fixture. I’ve even seen general contractors call us back for a “leaky light fixture” on a job. We always try not to laugh as we explain that the light isn’t the problem—it’s just the lowest point the water chooses to escape from. The real source is always somewhere else.
My issue was that it was raining, and water was getting into my home. I needed to find out why. The water was coming from a light, but that wasn’t the issue. I needed to stop and go deeper.
I pulled down the light to see what was behind it. I found nothing. It was mostly dry. I had to go to the next level.
I knew the water was from outside. I don’t have any plumbing overhead in the house. So, I looked at the roof. I could find where it was leaking. I could see that it was pooling in a spot, so I knew that might be the cause.
Since I know little about roofing—and didn’t want to start tearing apart my house—I called for help. Within 30 hours, a roofing contractor came by, found the leak, and fixed it. The problem was hidden under the first layer of roofing: the metal flashing had been installed incorrectly during a recent repair. Once that was corrected, the leak was gone for good.
As I reflected on my unexpected water problem, I couldn’t help but notice how often we do the same thing in life—we rush to fix the first thing we see, when the real issue lies hidden beneath the surface.
I also thought about how often I try to solve things on my own—digging in, taking things apart—only to realize I need outside help. If I’d tried to handle this roof issue myself, I could have made a bigger mess and still not fixed the problem.
Life is full of problems, and sometimes the issue is quickly identified and solved. But sometimes the issue is much deeper. Before I consider an issue solved, I need to make sure I have tried to trace it to the source. Otherwise, the issue will come up time and time again.
And if it is a major issue, I should get help before things get messier.
As for Pickleball. Things cleared up, and my wife and I went out and played that evening.
