Ready Set Go
Saturday I wasn't feeling well. The plan was to stay in bed and rest all day. By noon I was tired of resting. I decided to go for a ride, no particular location in mind, just a ride. Now that isn't something I, nor most people, do these days - that is just go riding. I remember when I was a child my brother and his wife would come over and pick me and my sister up and take us for a ride in the country. Since we lived on a busy highway in the city, going for a ride on a country road was a pleasant change. We would ride and look at the scenery and laugh at little silly nothings.
The simple rides produced some happy memories which I remembered for the first time in a long time on Saturday morning while just riding.
While riding Saturday my husband and I decided to stop at a local lake. The lake has always been there, very close to my house, but for some reason, I have never been there until Saturday. Even though the temperatures were scorching, there was so much shade from the tall oaks and pines around the lake that it was very pleasant. We sat and watched the boats and ski doos and people. We called my son and told him to bring his boys (and some food) over. They too soon took a ride to the lake.
The boys looked around and discovered the peer. They begged their dad to let them swim. After saying no about ten times, he finally agreed. After swimming obediently only in the shallow water around the bank for a little while, the older boys begged for yet another favor. "Can we jump off the peer?" Again my son finally agreed and that is when the fun began. I sat and watched and it made me wish I knew how to swim. The boys would stand on the rails and ready themselves to jump in. My son would shout, "Ready, set, go!" and they would go. At first, there seemed to be a little hesitation, a little fear of jumping into the unfamiliar waters, but soon they just jumped right in without a second thought. It was an enjoyable memorable day for all.
In our everyday lives, there are always many memories waiting to be made. Some are down the road, some are right in our own back yard. God has a way of opening our eyes to the true beauty and simple happiness when we need it most. God also has a way of showing us things we need to know through simple everyday life circumstances. As I watched my grandchildren jumping into the water carefree and uninhibited I thought of what a feeling of freedom it must be to just jump in that cool water with childlike faith - no fear -no holding back.
I was reminded of the story in Matthew of Jesus choosing His apostles who were on a Lake in Galilee. There was no fear, no holding back, no inhibitions, no questions; they just jumped right in.
MATTHEW 4:18 Walking along the beach of Lake Galilee, Jesus saw two brothers: Simon (later called Peter) and Andrew. They were fishing, throwing their nets into the lake. It was their regular work. 19 Jesus said to them, "Come with me. I'll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I'll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass." 20 They didn't ask questions, but simply dropped their nets and followed. 21 A short distance down the beach they came upon another pair of brothers, James and John, Zebedee's sons. These two were sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, mending their fishnets. Jesus made the same offer to them, 22 and they were just as quick to follow, abandoning boat and father.
May we all be a little more like Peter, Andrew, James, and John. Jesus has called us to follow Him. May we all jump right in with child-like faith. Come on in the water is cool. refreshing, and gives everlasting life.
John 4:9 The Samaritan woman, taken aback, asked, "How come you, a Jew, are asking me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?" (Jews in those days wouldn't be caught dead talking to Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered, "If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you fresh, living water." 11 The woman said, "Sir, you don't even have a bucket to draw with, and this well is deep. So how are you going to get this "living water'? 12 Are you a better man than our ancestor Jacob, who dug this well and drank from it, he and his sons and livestock, and passed it down to us?" 13 Jesus said, "Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. 14 Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst--not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life." 15 The woman said, "Sir, give me this water so I won't ever get thirsty, won't ever have to come back to this well again!"
jbp