Japanese Hot Tubs

Proverbs 23:7 “As someone thinks within himself, so he is.” Yesterday I went to the Japanese spa and I looked on with pride as the boys dunked themselves in the hot and cold tubs. Most of the adults couldn’t handle the extreme temperatures, but even Nate Nate (who is 3) enjoyed immersing in both tubs unassisted. At one point I called them over for a group huddle. “Hey, I’m really proud of you guys. You know nothing has really changed since you first came and couldn’t take the heat or the cold. The tubs haven’t changed, and your bodies haven’t changed but what has changed is your minds. Most of the time the biggest limitation on what we can do is not really our physical situation, but what’s going on in your head. It’s the same thing with God. You know God can do anything right? Well what holds us back is what’s going on in our heads. Sometimes we wonder if God really has the best in store, or whether God is all-powerful. That’s why it’s so important to push our mental boundaries and give God the space to do miracles. It’s why Jesus encouraged us over and over again to have more faith.” Lord, the overwhelming majority of the time when you bless me with a lesson for my sons, you’re really blessing me with a lesson for myself. Help me to think bigger, to have more faith, and to create space for you to move. I love you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.