What do you do to let go of a tough day? Some days, I can let go of the bad day as I read the scriptures; others, it can be a time of personal worship, prayer, and reflection on God’s faithfulness. Some rough days are often overcome when I swim. I think it starts when I jump into the cool water, and the shock of the cool water hits my body.
A friend told me how she was preparing for a triathlon. She is fiercely determined in everything she does. She rides a Pelaton further than anyone I know; she will run no matter how hard it is, but this particular week, she hit a wall, and that wall was the pool.
No matter how great one’s lung capacity is from running or cardio on a Pelaton, when you put your face in the water and begin to swim, you can only take a breath at certain times of the stroke’s rotation. You can breathe at any time when you bike or run, but this is not so with swimming.
So why in the world is this such a release for me? As I pointed out above, it starts when my body gets a wake-up call when I jump in, put my face in the water, and begin to swim. By the first 200 yards, I feel the stress in my neck and shoulders melt away. After that first 200 yards, I only noticed how quiet it is and that the water is washing over me.
The other significant thing I notice is my breath. I hear it and can see it on my exhale. I know God has given me this blessing in this workout. God created water. Water is used for baptism when we learn to die to ourselves and rise up as new creations.
The other thing about my breath is the theory that we call Yahweh when we breathe. In the Hebrew language, the name of God is spelled YHWH. The word has no vowels, and it is Holy. If you close your eyes and slowly inhale through your nose, it sounds like the first part of this name, YH. When you exhale, you hear the second part of His name, WH. Many who speculate about this theory think we are saying YHWH with our first breath when we are born. All I can tell you is that when I am in the pool, this water is washing over me, and I can hear and see my breath with every exhale, and when I finish my swim, I feel so refreshed. No other exercise has the same effect on my body, mind, and spirit.
Ephesians 5 says this: Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, The words “by the washing of water with the word” really hit me. The word of God does all the work, and my preaching has little to no value on a Sunday morning.
This is Communion Sunday, and we are going to rely on the Word this Sunday as we pray, worship, and read scripture, focusing on the Cross and remembering what Jesus did for us that night in the upper room. Come this Sunday with the goal of the word washing over you and remembering the sacrifices of Jesus. See you Sunday morning at 9:30
In Him,
Pastor Chris