Peace like a pond

Sometimes I let the kids take their baths in our big jet tub. They get so excited about turning on the "bubbles." But often, when the time comes to turn on the jet tub bubbles, they chicken out and decide they don't really want those bubbles after all. They seem to have a love/hate relationship with the jet tub bubbles.

For example, this morning Hannah took her bath in the jet tub. She begged me to turn on the bubbles, but the water level has to reach a certain point before the jets will work so she had to wait. Her excitement built as she waited for the tub to fill up. Finally, the water was high enough, so I reached over to turn on the jets. She freaked out. She stood up on the edge of the tub to wait and watch first, but then just as I was about to turn them on she shouted "No! No! No! I don't really want the bubbles today!" So she swam around in the calm water of her bath for a long time and finally exited the tub without ever experiencing the jet bubbles. She missed out. She knew she missed out too, but she opted for the safe calm of a serene bath rather than the fun bubbly bath that a jet tub has to offer.

As I observed her this morning, I was reminded of something I learned last week in my Bible study. We were talking about peace and the passage that says "If you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea." (Isaiah 48:18) The study pointed out that God didn't say that he would give us peace like a pond (which is completely still and serene without bumps), but rather peace like a river (which is constantly moving, sometimes even around large boulders). In other words, when God's peace comes into our lives, it doesn't mean that all our trials and "bumps" go away, but rather than we are able to navigate those trials in such a way that we pass through those "bumps" all the while moving along in the clear refreshing waters of His peace.

Sometimes, like Hannah, I wish for the calm that a pond or jet-free bathtub has to offer. I wonder why I have to deal with all these "bubbles" and "bumps" that seem to jostle my life. I want peace like a pond. No bumps. No worries. No problems. But God is bigger than a pond, isn't He? He takes me by the hand and says "let's go for a ride! I'll take care of you. Hold on to me and you will experience my peace as we ride this river together!" So I'll take His hand, hold on tight and enjoy the ride.

P.S. - Joey and I agreed to be youth sponsors for the youth mission trip this summer. Part of the trip is a day spent white water rafting. Even as recent as last night, I informed my small group girls that I was NOT in any way interested in that part of the trip. I'll sit that one out, thankyouverymuch. I sure hope it is not God's idea of a funny joke to give me a good object lesson by forcing me to go white water rafting on the trip this summer. Eeek!