Keeping your breath above water

It's that time of year once again. The swimming pools are filled with delighted little two legged fish, laughing, kicking, splashing, gasping, practicing and playing. The lap lanes are occupied with more intentional, fitness focused swimmers. Swim team participants are looking for wins and helping their team to succeed. Occasionally, you may see a swimmer wearing goggles and a snorkel. Without the need to surface and breathe, they can glide along quickly, churning the water from one end of the pool to the next.

Today, I am going to be talking about swimming. In this culture. Against the current. That is you and me, dear Christian friends. As the Word references, we are "in the world but not of it" (see John 17:15). If we are living, there is no way to avoid this swimming pool of life. But how do we navigate the obstacles, the waves and the challenges in our way? How do we tread the waters, make an impact and stay afloat?

It has to do with the air that we breathe. There are some, many, who are swimming along (in the big pool of life) with the burden of the world's tank on their backs, obtaining their air from its pressurized contents. They seem to be doing well as they have acclimated to their environment and are allowing the present current to sweep them along their way.

But we dear ones find ourselves swimming counter-culturally. Our strokes are met with resistance, the cheering of the crowd tends to be louder on the opposing side. Yet, we swim on, focused on the end goal, on a body of water more beautiful, peaceful and glorious then any we have swam in or even seen before!

Our Coach instructs us, lovingly and kindly, always with our best interest in mind. He knows the waters we face. He knows our strengths; which strokes are our strong suit. He is the one that gifted us with them after all, and He helps us use them to gain positive momentum, to make a difference and to strengthen our team.

The air above the water is the air that we breathe. It is infused with God's grace. It is an ongoing "breath of fresh air" in a world that is suffocating, deceptive and stale.

His Spirit is like goggles in that it helps us to see and navigate what is before us, thus helping to lead us around obstacles and to keep the end-goal in sight. His Word and prayer is like the snorkle in that they give us access to the grace and wisdom that dwells in the life-giving air that we breathe. The air above the waters of this world.

Unlike the snorkels of this life, God's apparatus is light, comfortable and easy to wear. As He says in His Word, his "yoke is easy and his burden is light" (Matt: 11:30).

So dear swimmers, keep churning on, one stroke at a time, sharing love with those you meet, breathing deep from the air of God's grace, focused on the goal, building stamina and strength via endurance and perseverance, knowing the Coach is there for you, cheering you and your team on, each lap along the way! Only because of Him, can we ....

breathe deeply from the beautiful, refreshing, life giving air that is found above the waters of this world!