June 23 - Swim a Lap Day

It's Swim a Lap Day, or could be Go Swim in a Lake Day. Either way, today is the day to jump in and enjoy a little bit of swimming.  Swimming is so good for you. It's good for your heart and for your lungs. It is a fun thing to do together, or all by yourself.

Swimming has been around for hundreds of years, maybe thousands! It's pretty important that kids learn how to swim, especially in Minnesota, but really anywhere. Did you know you can drown in just a tiny shallow pool if you haven't learned about swimming.  If you ever get a chance to go snorkeling in the ocean, that is a wonderful way to explore all of the beauty that God has created UNDER the water.

I'm pretty sure that there wasn't much swimming in Jesus' day.  There are many stories about people being on the water, but I can't find anything about swimming. In fact, the Jewish people often feared the sea.  But there is a story about Peter and Jesus that is worth reading today. It's in Matthew 8.  The disciples left Jesus on one side of the Sea of Galilee, and to catch up to them, Jesus walked on the stormy sea.  When Peter saw him, Peter stepped out of the boat on to the stormy sea to walk toward Jesus.  That sure took a lot of courage. I don't know if Peter could swim, but I sure know that he didn't have the power to walk on the water!  But his faith in Jesus gave Peter the courage to step out and go toward Jesus. You know how the story ends, Peter starts to sink and Jesus helps him up and they walk together to the boat.

That is a story with lots of meanings and lessons. Today when you are thinking about swimming, think about Peter walking on the water. Think about how much courage it took to step out of the boat.  Do you have that much courage to follow Jesus? Even if it seems crazy?  Sometimes crazy following will result in Jesus taking us by the hand and helping us with every step, just like He did for Peter.  Go take a dip in the the lake or pool today and think about doing something crazy for Jesus.

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