Just Keep Swimming

It was unexpected when Toby announced that he wanted to join the swim team at our pool.  Mainly because he had shown no interest when his cousin signed up back in May, and the team started daily practices through June, and started with a swim meet at the end of June.  

So when he told us he wanted to sign up, he was already a month behind on practicing, not to mention being a total rookie - it took us a couple weeks to even get him to take the deep water test to use the slide this year!

His first swim meet was a couple of days later, and he was put in to swim the butterfly and backstroke.  He was disqualified for form from the butterfly race, and cried about the backstroke, refusing to swim it!

For the next few weeks he was doing the butterfly every meeting, and then freestyle in a relay and breast stroke.  He went to practice at 8:30am five days a week, learning the strokes and how to dive off the blocks.

We were both surprised and proud when we found out his times at the league semi-finals last Saturday, were enough to be in the top 6, from 8 teams!  So, this week we headed to the league championships, for a butterfly and breaststroke.

 

 It was unseasonably chilly and wet, but he gave it his all, coming in 4 of 6 in both races.

But that was more than enough for him to receive this award at tonights banquet!

It was a short season, with daily practice and weekly competitions, but Toby seemed to thrive on it and is sad that he won't be carrying on for the rest of the summer.  We'll have to see where it goes from here!

Not feeling it

For a few days now I have had the same message on my heart: Just because you don't feel like it, doesn't mean God won't still require it.

Boom!  It sounds like something I say to my kids, doesn't matter if you don't want to do it, it's non-negotiable. 

There's a very clear account of this in the Bible, a story we all have heard of, but may not have studied. The Book of Jonah.  Called to go to the wicked Ninevites and share good news with them, Jonah fled.  He did not want to give these heinous people the opportunity to repent, and be saved, he didn't feel like it and refused to obey.

Jonah literally tried to outrun God's call on his life. Int he process, he jeopardized the safety of many others - the others on the boat.  He almost took them down with him!  We see that he accepted this responsibility and left them. 

He stayed in the belly of the huge fish for 3 days.  We often talk about hitting rock bottom, but that's quite a graphic illustration!  He had been destined to drown, but God saved him, by way of a fish.  He saved him for a purpose.  It is in that place where Jonah realizes that it is futile to resist God. 

"Those who cling to worthless idols
    turn away from God's love for them.
But I, with shouts of grateful praise,
    will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
    I will say, 'Salvation comes from the Lord.'"

Jonah 2: 8-9

After the fish had delivered him to the place God wanted, Jonah finally obeyed God.  He went in to the city (of a people who committed atrocities we can only liken to that of ISIS these days) and told them they had 30 days before God would judge them.  And they heard, and repented.  God spared the city, the Ninevites turned to the Lord.

Jonah, despite his obedience, was still not feeling it!  This has fascinated me since I read the story.  "But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry." verse 1 of chapter 4 says.

Note: Jonah grows bitter and actually wants to die, rather than see the Lord's great compassion for the Ninevites.  He misses God's heart, and the blessing that comes from knowing God has used your life.  That's a tragedy.

When we resist God's call on our life, he may choose someone else, but hopefully he may pursue us until we surrender to him.  In that moment, we have a choice.  We can remember God's great mercy and compassion toward us, and not resent what God has asked us to do.  Or, we can grow bitter and angry, effectively dying to all the good God promises. 

In these days, we are often living self-directed lives.  We come and go as we please, we pray about decisions, but often we know in our hearts what we intend to do.  We refuse to surrender to God's call, whether that call is to go, to preach, or simply to follow Him. 

Jesus is very clear that following him, to eternal life, requires sacrifice on our part - though nowhere near the extent that he sacrificed.  He wants us to consider that before we go - not so we are scared or intimidated, but so that we are not ignorant, unprepared, or deceived. 

I'm not saying that disobedience is the cause of whatever struggles you are facing, but it's certainly never too late to cry out to God and ask him to lead you through the storm to where you need to be.

Girls Bible Study

The girls are studying the "Temptations of Christ" in Emma's group this morning.  I had an interesting conversation with her this morning as I tried to break it down for her.

She had read through the scripture and even memorized the conversation between Satan and Jesus, but didn't really know how to go any deeper that it seemed.  I figure that happens for many of us.

First, being presented with temptation is NOT a sin.  We know this because Jesus was the only sinless human to have lived.  The "temptation" is the offer to sin, an opportunity to do something outside of God's will.  We are not [always] in control of the temptations we face.  However, we are in control of our response.

Since Jesus was in the desert without food for 40 days, it seems logical that Satan would first present Jesus with a food -based temptation.  We are so weak and vulnerable when our physical state is depleted, be it hunger, fatigue, loneliness.  Here Satan puts food as a reward for the ACTUAL sin, which is pride.  He challenges Jesus to prove who he is! 

Often when our position or character is challenged, we feel the need to defend ourselves, to prove we are who we say we are.  Often rooted in pride.  We should not need to go to extreme lengths to prove our character – our lives should speak for us, the truth should be evident.  Specifically in the case here, it was not God’s assigned time for Jesus to make that declaration, so it would definitely have been outside the will of God.

The comeback?  Jesus quotes scripture at Satan.  Notice that Satan does not argue it with Jesus.  He knows the Word of God as well as any of us, in fact probably better!  That’s how he can twist scripture to lead us into sin, because we don’t know it well enough to spot the deception.

Next, Satan sticks with the pride angle, “If you are the Son of God” – clearly it’s one of his favorite tactics, probably because pride is the root of his own fall.  We are so susceptible to pride.  Here, he challenges Jesus to do something foolish and force God’s hand to rescue him.  We can all be tempted to do that!  “It’s easier to ask forgiveness than permission!”  We make choices with dire consequences believing “God’s grace” will save the day. 

Rightly, Jesus, using scripture again, reminds Satan that we are not to put God to the test.  He is not a genie, he is God Almighty, and should be treated with honor and reverence.

Finally, recognizing that Jesus’s humility is above his pride temptations, Satan opts for a deceptive temptation.  He shows him the world, acknowledging that he, Satan, has dominion over it, and offers to give it all to Jesus, if he will bow down to him.

We are often tempted to take the easy route to accomplish our goals of success.  Jesus came to save the world, from Satan, so at first glance this offer might seem like a quick fix that would avoid the whole crucifixion/betrayal pain.  However, the promises of the world are deceptive, because when we pursue them we are agreeing to serve Satan. 

Jesus knows that God has a plan that is perfect, and although it involves him suffering, it is the only way to save us.  Jesus willingly submits to God’s arduous plan over the “easy” plan offered by Satan.  And again he relies on scripture for making the decision, reminding Satan that He should only worship the Lord God, as should we!

Possibly one of the most crucial things to take away from this passage of scripture is that Jesus knows how you feel when tempted, he knows what it is to be physically weak and emotionally spent.  But he knows what it is to overcome, and he knows what we need to overcome.

God is not a far-off, hands-off, buzz-off God!  He wants to show us who he is, and how to live in relationship with him.  Jesus embodies it all, and calls us to follow him, not the crowd.

Independence Day!