Lessons learned...

My pool is crystal clear! The kids swam in it this week and had a blast!

The road to get to the clear water wasn't easy. It took patience, endurance and lots of chemicals.

I am reminded of my journey. I came to Jesus with a heart polluted by sin. Murky, green water. The stuff living in it wasn't supposed to be there. But over time God's been using chlorine to clean it up.

The change is gradual. As my pool cleared up I could see another 6 inches deeper into the pool each day. I knew stuff was happening, but it wasn't happening at the speed I would have liked! I wanted a clear pool now! You know, the pool didn't get green in a day, and didn't get clean in a day either!

You know what? Even though I can't see the algae right now, there's still some there... I need to keep the chlorine levels elevated to get rid of all of it! Just because I can't see sin in my own life doesn't mean that it's not there...I still need chlorine for my heart...Now that the pool is clean it takes less chemicals to keep it clean, but it still takes some chemicals. If I choose not to put chemicals in for a few days it will get cloudy, then green again... My life is like that too.

Every pool is different. Keeping the PH, Alkalinity, CYA and Chlorine levels right means getting to know your pool. It depends on outside factors too. How much rain, sun, chemicals in the tap water, and number of people in the pool. If use the same amount of chemicals that I use, you might get radically different results.

Like my pool, the things that I do to stay in an active, ongoing, loving, joyful relationship with Jesus may not work for you. What I do on my spiritual journey may not work for you at all! Pool chemistry is not a one size fits all, neither is the spiritual life.

There are some guidelines for good levels of chemicals though. I see that in my life too...Are the fruit of the Spirit present in my life? Am I more in love with Jesus than I was yesterday? Does servanthood flow from my life? Is God alone satisfying the longings of my heart? These are some signs that the water is staying fresh...

Joh 4:10 Jesus answered, "If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you fresh, living water."

+ May God keep our water clear! +