It is not very often that I get to write my blog with excitement, but this week, I am very excited. Why is Pastor Chris excited? You might be asking yourself right now. Well, lean in as I explain my excitement. This Monday, the Bret Harte Aquatic Center opens. Yes, it is true. I am excited to swim in an outdoor pool in February.
I know most of you think I am completely crazy, and my wife agrees with you, but I can not contain my excitement. Although I have no specific scripture to back up my thoughts, God does something to me every time I swim. First, it is the shock of my system jumping in. During the winter, it’s due to the warm water and cold air of February; in the summer, it is the cool water and the hot air. No matter the season, the plunge is envigorating.
The other thing that happens is I am forced to quiet my mind as not much sound gets through the water. The other outcomes of swimming are physical and emotional. No matter how much my back might bother me, my back pain is lost by the time the swim is over. The other thing is my stress is often completely removed. I frequently make a statement that I am going to drown my day in the pool. Between the water and the physical exhaustion of swimming 3000 yards, my stress is gone.
Did you know that the pool at Bret Harte has not been cared for for the past three months? As we read, the aquatic center staff is working hard to get the water ready. This often requires the pool to be “chemically shocked ” to remove algae and bring the water PH level back to a healthy range.
I often think that God shocks our system with suffering to bring us back to a healthy place with Him—a place where our eyes are on Him, we are immersed in His Word, and our minds are aligned with His heart. Jesus was the suffering servant predicted in the book of Isiah, and His suffering was immense.
The church today is still being advanced by those who suffer. My most significant times of growth always came after a time of suffering. This Sunday, we will look at a man who suffered while serving the Lord in a mighty way. It is my prayer that you will see a few things in suffering: 1. God’s love for us. 2. God uses us all to grow the kingdom with our suffering. See you Sunday at 9:30
In Him,
Pastor Chris