bring your swimsuit

My suitcase was zipped and staged by the back door.  I was mentally checking off items to bring in my purse.  Bible, pen/pencil, facial tissue, gum.... the essentials for my weekend away at retreat.  I was making one last trip around the house tidying up when I had the thought, 'bring your swimsuit'.

Hmm, I could.  However, I quickly dismissed the thought.  I wouldn't have time to relax in the hot tub or swim in the pool.  Again, 'bring your swimsuit' (louder this time).  Well, I'll grab it if I remember next time I'm upstairs.  I folded a bit of laundry, added those forgotten pajamas to the suitcase and made one last pit stop in the bathroom when the thought came again, 'bring your swimsuit'.  Fine!  Why is this still stuck in my head when half the time I can't remember things when I go from one room into another.  "Ok Lord, I'm bringing my swimsuit, I hope you allow me to use it."  I found my suit and jammed it in the last available space in the suitcase.

Retreat began Friday night and continued on until Sunday afternoon.  Saturday there is a session in the morning and one following dinner in the evening.  Between that time there are a group of optional breakout sessions to attend.  None of those really appealed to me so I stayed in my room with one of my roommates and talked.  The phone rang and it was an old friend of hers and she wanted to visit.  I wanted to give them time alone to chat and wondered what to do with myself.  The breakout sessions were already halfway into the alotted hour. 

This is where the swimsuit comes into play.  Even though the pool was miles (really not much exageration there) from our room, there was a hot tub just steps down the hall.  I would have enough time to enjoy a good long soak and then be able to take a leisurely shower before dinner.  I quickly changed into my suit and walked down the hall to enjoy the hot tub.

Relaxing in the hot tub with the bubbles swirling around me, I thanked God for urging me to bring my swimsuit and allowing me this time to sit and relax in the quiet.  Then it occurred to me that not only did God give me quiet time in water (one of my favorite things), but he also used that swimsuit to get me out of my room and give my roommate and her friend the uninterrupted time they needed to be together to nuture and encourage each other.

This morning I read this post over at Laced with Grace.  If you have a minute I encourage you to pop over and read it.  The post is what encouraged me to write this today.  Dana writes about the small details.  You can bring everything to God.  Everything!  He's detail oriented and he cares for you and he cares for me.  He could have just let it go and not urged me to bring my suit.  I could have just wandered the halls or tucked into one of the many sitting areas throughout the hotel.  I would have been content with that.  But God cares for me and knows what I need and he knows my favorite things.

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