Last summer when I was in the U.S., I bought a new pair of swim goggles. I didn't really need them at the time, but they were on sale, and the way I swim and use goggles, I figured I'd need them soon enough. My old goggles were still working ok, fogging up some, but not too bad, and no leaks.
Well, today proved to be the day when the "old" goggles had their last wearing. As I started swimming my first 50 meters, my left goggle promptly let in enough water so that when I flipped over to do backstroke, my eye got "flooded" with water. I had to pause in the middle of my lap, tread water and empty the goggle so I could go on. I thought it was just a fluke, that I had not "correctly" put them on, but then when I started on my second 50 meters, once again, the left goggle filled 1/4 of the way with water, causing great discomfort and forcing me to concentrate more on my eye than on swimming.
I had to stop at the end of 100 meters and completely remove and readjust the goggles. However, even with readjustment, water was still seeping in, forcing me to realize that the time had finally come when I would need to throw out these goggles and bring in the new goggles. Otherwise, they would be a distraction.
As I meditated on this while swimming...as you know I love to do....it struck me what a clear picture of life this is sometimes. There are things from our past, "old" things, that we need to get rid of. They are causing discomfort, even pain, slowing us down, and causing us to concentrate on things we shouldn't be concentrating on, instead of that which is most important. Are we willing to come before our God and ask Him to show us what needs to be "pitched"...it might even be something REALLY old.... and then ask what new thing He wants to bring in so that we can go on, unhindered, unencumbered, following hard after Him into that which He is calling us to? Sometimes it's really hard, even heart-breaking to let go of the old and allow the new to enter in, even if we know that it is necessary and, in the long run, much better for us and everyone around us. The Apostle Paul put it well: "forgetting what is behind and striving toward what is ahead." By God's grace alone each one of us can do this...are you willing?
3 comments:
wow! not only am I willing, I am doing it while you swim, meditate and write! Are we a team or what? This was eloquently put by the way and a refreshing change from O,OC.
Love, MJ
And refreshingly freeing on many levels...
Dear Arden,
Yes, I also want to be willing, I am willing! and I believe we are already on the way! I found that I cant get rid of my "past" just because its comfortable for me: I know everything there, everything is predictable. But for the future we have to take risks, put the "certain" in Gods hands. Its like a bungee-jumping for me sometimes. Faith is so extreme:-)
good jumping:-)
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