SWIMMING IN DEEP WATER

July 10, 2016

Dear Emily,

     We just returned on Friday from five days together at the beach.  Early last Sunday morning, eight of us piled into Uncle Robert’s car and your daddy’s truck and headed for Orange Beach where we relaxed in the sun, played in the surf, and splashed in the pool.  You spent most of your time at the pool because you don’t like the grit of the sand in your toes or the spray of the ocean water in your eyes.  The adults rotated between the pool and the beach so that everybody could enjoy the time – the pool and the beach.

      You like the water - you just don’t like the water in your eyes.  When I reminded you that last year you were swimming with your head under water, you declared that underwater swimming definitely would not be happening this year!  You were determined not to get your face wet!   That was on Day One.  But familiarity and experience have a way of bolstering confidence and changing attitudes- - especially when you trust BB!   By the end of Day Two, you were jumping off the steps, willing to get a little water on your face.  By Day Three you were again swimming with your head under water, jumping and diving off the side of the pool. Each time I pulled you to the surface.  Day Four was the highlight day!!  Not only were you running and jumping in the pool, you were actually doing flips from the side into the water.  Hooray for Emily!!

     Lately you have been asking questions about Jesus.  At five years old, you can share the good news that Jesus died on the cross to save us from sin.  That’s not surprising since you have been in church since before you were born!!   You point out the Jesus is God and vice-versa. Again – Sunday school has paid off!   It’s the belief that Jesus rose from the dead and is alive that stumps you. We can’t see him so how can He be alive?  How do we know that God exists?  These are questions that all of us wrestle with from time to time.  It doesn’t matter if you are five or sixty-five…..is God real?  Does He really care for us? 

      Emily, believing in the existence of God and the resurrection of Jesus, (even though he doesn’t physically show up for the Sunday sermon or pop in at bedtime to hear your prayers) is called FAITH.  FAITH is what bolstered your confidence to jump off the side of the pool into water over your head.   Although you couldn’t see me when you went under, you knew I was there, and you had FAITH that I would keep my promise to catch you.  Because you know that I love you, you knew you could trust me.   FAITH in God is basically the same.  FAITH is having confidence that God is alive and active in your life, and that He cares for you every day.  You build that confidence in God’s love for you through sharing a relationship with God – reading the Bible and saying your prayers.  And just like jumping in the pool and swimming underwater got easier each time, the more you read about God and talk to God, the easier it will be to have FAITH in Him. 

     As you go through life, there will be times when you feel like you are floundering in water over your head.  Life does that to us sometimes.   But the good news is that you can trust God. Have FAITH in His promise, hold onto His hand, and He will pull you out.

Love,  BB

ORANGE BEACH -  2016

    

             

Dear Emily,

     We just returned on Friday from five days together at the beach.  Early last Sunday morning, eight of us piled into Uncle Robert’s car and your Daddy’s truck and took off for Orange Beach where we relaxed in the sun, the surf, and the pool.  You spent most of your time at the pool because you don’t like the grit of the sand in your toes or the splash of the ocean water in your eyes.  The adults rotated between the pool and the beach so that everybody could enjoy the time – the pool and the beach.

      You like the water.  You just don’t like the water in your eyes.  When I reminded you that last year you were swimming with your head under water, you said that underwater swimming would not be happening this year!  That was on Day One.  But familiarity and experience have a way of bolstering confidence and changing attitudes.  By the end of Day Two, you were jumping off the steps, willing to get a little water on your face.  By Day Three you were again swimming with your head under water, jumping and diving off the side of the pool and going under before I pulled you to the surface.  Day Four was the highlight day!!  Not only were you running and jumping in the pool, you were actually doing flips from the side into the water.  Big Wow!!

     Lately you have been asking questions about Jesus.  At five years old, you can declare that Jesus died on the cross to save us from sin.  That’s not surprising since you have been in church since before you were born!!   You point out the Jesus is God and vice-versa. Again – Sunday school has paid off!   It’s the belief that Jesus rose from the dead and is alive even though we can’t see him that stumps you.  How can that be?  How do we know?  These are questions that all of us wrestle with from time to time.  It doesn’t matter if you are five or sixty-five…..is God real?  Does He care for us? 

      Emily, believing in the existence of God and the resurrection of Jesus, (even though he doesn’t physically show up for the Sunday sermon or at bedtime to hear your prayers) is called faith.  Faith is what you have when you jump off the side of the pool into water over your head.  You couldn’t see me when you went under, but you knew I was there and you had faith that I would make sure that you were safe.  Because you know that I love you, you knew you could trust me.   Faith in God is basically the same.  Faith is knowing that God is alive and active in our lives, and that He cares for us every day.  You build that confidence through building a relationship with God – reading the Bible and saying your prayers.  And just like jumping in the pool and swimming underwater got easier the more you did it, the more you read about God and talk to God, the easier it will be to have faith in Him. 

     I am so proud of you!  No doubt you are on your way to becoming a strong swimmer and a devoted disciple.  Big Wow!!

Love and Blessings,

BB

    

             

EMILY - AKA ELSA!

January 20, 2016

Dear Emily,

            It didn’t snow here.  We have some freezing rain and ice on the trees, but none of the white stuff.  Nashville and communities further north got a good heaping early this morning, but not here; however, school officials all over middle Tennessee wisely decided to err on the side of caution, so students and teachers are enjoying an unscheduled day off.  Just what you were hoping for – just what your parents and BB were hoping for  - an unscheduled day to enjoy.   Because you are only four years old, your public education consists of two days each week at the Chapel Hill Methodist Church Early Learning Center, but you knew that a “snow day” would mean that you would have a fun day at home with your family even if no sledding was involved.  So last night you Emily- aka Elsa – decided to ensure that the weather would follow the weatherman’s predictions – you Emily aka Elsa – made sure to enlist God in the plan. Always a good idea!  Knowing that God ultimately has control over everything, you Emily -aka Elsa- mumbled some sort of  “frozen spell” prayer over the weather for snow and then tossed the “spell” to God to “help” Him get it done.  You said He needed “help."

            In truth, He really doesn’t need our help.  He is, after all, God.  But never doubt – God WANTS our help.  He wants us to help bring joy and peace to His world in whatever way we can.  He WANTS our prayers.  He WANTS us to share our feelings with Him in any way that we can.   We are God’s children, and we can trust Him to hear our prayers and provide what is BEST for us.  Although what is BEST is not always what we WANT, evidently He agreed with you about today! 

Enjoy His Blessings and always give thanks!

Love,

BB