Water

We had a wet Fourth of July around here…  You remember!  Mostly overcast till about 2pm, then steady rain for a few hours followed by storms that cancelled afternoon parades and evening fireworks plans. 

I was hot, sweaty and had just finished working in the garage, cars on the driveway, when the rain began.  I cursed the rain (not really) for about 1 second and then had an idea!  The rain could help me give the cars a badly needed wash!

Tell you what, I had the best time washing our cars!  It was like playing in the rain as a kid.  Though I worked at it for over an hour and was soaked to the skin, I was exhilarated with a big smile on my face and happier than a pig in mud! 

There’s just something refreshing about water, isn’t there? Whether we drink, shower, or immerse ourselves in a tub, pool, river, lake, sea or ocean, it usually has a positive effect on us.  We are about 70% water, so perhaps it’s an origins thing!

You know, immersed in utero and splashing out during physical birth!  Perhaps that’s part of why the first believer-followers of Jesus got into water, were dunked under, and then brought back up when baptized.  Illustrating new life.  Jesus did talk of people being born of water (physical birth) and born again (spiritual birth) of the Spirit to fully experience God’s love.  Also, the into, under, and back up progression symbolizes our faith union with Jesus- in his incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection victory over sin and death! 

Pretty cool physical experience to help us fully grasp important spiritual realities and always remember the depth of God’s love and grace to us in Jesus Christ!  Yet another reason to be excited about water and important way to get refreshed in water! 

Let’s follow Jesus into the water and beyond… making the lasting difference of active faith, hope, and love!