Cool…sometimes very cold water…fills our small pool for 

hot summer days. 

Pools & Patience

Combine a hot day in mid August with a small kiddie swimming pool and a perfect spot for conversation can take place when a grandmother is willing to sit in the somewhat frigid water to “play” with a granddaughter…..a child whose love language (one of them)  is “spending time”…so, while her younger brother napped, we played in the pool recently, which in our case, is a two level blow up style, large enough for several small children who merely want to splash and get cooled off under a hot sticky day. I didn’t mind the chance to don a pair of shorts and tank top so I, too, could soak up some “end of the summer sunshine” that will soon fade to cooler temperatures.

In the midst of “gramma, wanna see something?” and “gramma, look what I can do” our granddaughter decided she’d try a new “move”...plugged her nose…went under water and spun her body around as quickly as the air in her lungs allowed…coming up with a splash, eyes closed, fingers tightly holding her nostrils shut. “Did you see that!?” I sure did…I think I counted three full turns and complimented her for such a feat in the shallow waters. She wasn’t exactly thrilled with my compliment or her “move”…”Gramma, I didn’t do very well”….”Well, honey”, I replied, “you need to be patient while you practice. You’ll do better each time”.

She wrinkled her face responding “We talked about patience in KidMin. It didn’t work for me”.  (Laughter filled my body from head to toe)

“Oh baby girl….life will give you many more opportunities to learn patience”….

“Preach the word. Be ready to do it whether it is convenient or inconvenient. Correct, confront, and encourage with patience and instruction.” 2 Timothy 4:2

Indeed, patience takes a long time. At age 7 our granddaughter believed she had failed to put this wonderful virtue into practice. I can feel her anguish. At age 68 there are days I don’t want to hear the word either….whether it’s from a sermon message or a component of a daily devotional. “Waiting” is not on my top ten list of character traits…positive ones, that is. But, in the midst of my willingness to admit this character flaw, I’m also willing to acknowledge the ability to surrender my anxious thoughts and actions to God…allow Him to control, lead and guide me….to ‘encourage (me) with patience and instruction’….especially on my hardest of days…

As our granddaughter grows, we’ll need a bigger pool. I’m pretty certain she will continue to work on her “moves”…going deeper and longer under the water as depths will permit..lungs growing with greater strength…I’ll keep encouraging her as I sit near her….watching and listening to her squeals of delight….learning life lessons from her…and hopefully pass a few of my own along to her…all under the sun on a hot summer day…cooled by a small kiddie pool and  gleaning refreshment from God’s Word. Together we will “wait” for patience to be built deeper into our spirits…eyes wide open to see the results….lungs expanding to breathe in the rewards from all our hard diligence and  practice….