Swim to Jesus

     Yesterday Kayla swam in the last A meet of the Swim Team season.  She only had one race, breast stroke.  Before the meet Nick and I were encouraging her to swim fast.  Nick told her to imagine he was chasing her.  I told her to imagine there was a shark behind her, and she had to swim quickly in order to escape getting eaten. Kayla laughed at each suggestion, but our ideas paled in comparison to the idea she used.
     While waiting for her event, Kayla was whining about the heat, complaining she was hungry,  and teasing her brothers.  I was concerned her mind was not on her race, and irrated about her behavior. So, right before the race I went up to Kayla and gave her a hug and said, "Remember say a prayer before you dive in, and remember who you are racing for." She answered, "God."  We have a motto in our family to "do your best and let God do the rest." Thanks to the wonderful dance studio, where Kayla takes classes, she also has learned that all she does should be for the Glory of God our Father. 
      Kayla dove in the water and swam into first place, as well as swimming her fastest time in the event.  Full of pride, Nick and I hugged and congratulated her on a job well done.  Nick asked her if imagining he was chasing her helped her.  I teased and said she had used my idea of escaping from a shark.  Kayla replied, "No, I pretended the devil was behind me, and Jesus was at the other end of the pool, and I just swam as fast as I could to get away from the devil."   Humbled and a bit shocked, I whispered a pray of thanksgiving to the Holy Spirit.
       Kayla's idea has stuck with me, and I think it is a great way to live life.  Turn from evil and swim toward Jesus.  Sometimes it is so easy to lose sight of our goal, Eternal life with our Heavenly Father.   Somedays I feel like I am just swimming with the team, other times I feel as if I am drowning in the details and chaos of life.  But all we do, no matter how insignificant, needs to be for His glory. We had encouraged Kayla to swim away from something, but she thought of a goal, someone to swim toward.