For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39
Have you ever pretended to be on vacation? We’ve done that before. I have to tell you, it never seems to work if we just stay at home. We had a free night stay to a hotel that was going to expire, but we weren’t going anywhere, and I hated to see it wasted. There was a hotel only 20 minutes from our house that had a swimming pool, and it was a time of year that was pretty quiet. We had two young children and thought why not? Some people could have thought us out of our mind, but for us, it ended up being brilliant!
The boys were so excited. We didn’t even need to do all the packing that it would normally take because we weren’t going to spend the night. We had a dog at home that we were going to come home to. We could sleep in our own beds and even shower at home too. Perfect! We gathered the swimming suits, goggles, some games, and off we went. We even made sure to get lots of yummy snacks. We were set!
The boys loved the pool, especially the waterfall! We were the only ones there so we could play all the games in that pool we wanted. We could even have races because we didn’t have to worry about disrupting anyone else. The giggles that came from the pool were quite a few! When we were exhausted, we would go to the hot tub. We would let the boys stand in there for just a couple minutes, and they loved it! They would be ready to head back into the pool again.
At this point, I thought they were a little off their rockers. The water felt so cold after the hot tub water. While my big, brave hubby faced the cold like a trooper, I stayed behind and got an incredible view of them from above the pool. You see, the hot tub was right up against the swimming pool, except higher. It was where the waterfall came down from. I could stand in the hot tub and practically be there with them! The best part…I was nice and toasty! I could see everything in a better way too. I see why the lifeguards sit up high!
It was a great day and fantastic to get right in on the action. There was such enjoyment when I totally immersed myself in my children’s world. On the other hand, it was great to have my perspective change. I was able to see the boys with a bigger, clearer picture. Enjoying them in a new way. No matter what, nothing was going to separate me from my family, just like nothing will separate us from the love of God.
I challenge you to love life and participate as children do. Help others…get right alongside them, don’t always look from afar. When you need to change your perspective, get to higher ground. Remember when Jesus preached from the boat? Just remember to stay connected and keep the communication open. Oh, and when you can keep the laughter flowing…all the better!
