Simple Splashes
Summer in Arkansas provides many opportunities for a great splash in the pool on a hot day. Just yesterday, my sister and I jumped in the hot car with our colorful towels and drove with the windows down all the way to a neighbors pool. As the wind blew our hair and whipped it around our heat-splotched faces, we sang to the radio, not caring how we looked or how we sounded either!
But the real climax of our sisterly adventure was the moment we splashed in that cool water. There was no toe-testing, no gradual entry, just one big jump off the diving board and into complete refreshment.
As soon as we dove in, three cute little girls came bobbing around the corner. Our neighbor was watching after them because their mother had just delivered twins and was still in the hispital. The three sisters were no older than 6, and I've never seen anyone so excited to see a swimming pool. Our neighbor explained to us that the girls' parents had never swam, so neither had the daughters. To see someone swim was, to them, absolutley fascinating! They stood nearby the side of the pool and watched our every move. Time and time again, my sister and I would jump off the diving board and splash around in the pool, just to make the little girls laugh.
Now I can swim, but I can't do anything impressive. At pool parties, whenever they start a diving board competition, I just stay in the water. If a group wanted to have a race, I would probably just watch. I can't flip off the diving board, nor can I do anything impressive at all really. But to these girls, my simple pencil dives and "twist and shout" jumps were the most entertaining thing they had seen all day. All three would belt out a long and enthusiastic "oooooooh!" everytime my sister did her splits or everytime I made a splash. They found such refreshing joy in something so simple that no one else would really notice or applaud it.
I think God gives us gifts to use for Him and to bring others joy. But sometimes we hide our gifts or stuff them away, saying that they aren't as impressive at what other people can do. But you never know, once you bring out your best, you might bring joy and laughter and encouragement to the people who really need it. God made us to live in community like that. No gift is too small to bring to the community! Maybe if we all rolled down our windows, sang to the radio, and did pathetic tricks off the diving board, our splahes might make more of a difference for the kingdom of God than we might think.
But the real climax of our sisterly adventure was the moment we splashed in that cool water. There was no toe-testing, no gradual entry, just one big jump off the diving board and into complete refreshment.
As soon as we dove in, three cute little girls came bobbing around the corner. Our neighbor was watching after them because their mother had just delivered twins and was still in the hispital. The three sisters were no older than 6, and I've never seen anyone so excited to see a swimming pool. Our neighbor explained to us that the girls' parents had never swam, so neither had the daughters. To see someone swim was, to them, absolutley fascinating! They stood nearby the side of the pool and watched our every move. Time and time again, my sister and I would jump off the diving board and splash around in the pool, just to make the little girls laugh.
Now I can swim, but I can't do anything impressive. At pool parties, whenever they start a diving board competition, I just stay in the water. If a group wanted to have a race, I would probably just watch. I can't flip off the diving board, nor can I do anything impressive at all really. But to these girls, my simple pencil dives and "twist and shout" jumps were the most entertaining thing they had seen all day. All three would belt out a long and enthusiastic "oooooooh!" everytime my sister did her splits or everytime I made a splash. They found such refreshing joy in something so simple that no one else would really notice or applaud it.
I think God gives us gifts to use for Him and to bring others joy. But sometimes we hide our gifts or stuff them away, saying that they aren't as impressive at what other people can do. But you never know, once you bring out your best, you might bring joy and laughter and encouragement to the people who really need it. God made us to live in community like that. No gift is too small to bring to the community! Maybe if we all rolled down our windows, sang to the radio, and did pathetic tricks off the diving board, our splahes might make more of a difference for the kingdom of God than we might think.
This is definatly my favorite entree so far. i've talked about this some recently with one of my friends and reading this definatly made me smile. Also, it's even funnier to me because i've watched you do those pencil dives and twist and shouts, and now when i see something so simple, i will be reminded of this, and of how amazing God is to use the little things.
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