maybe it's like this...

So I thought of a visual analogy to how our lives work in relation to what we're filled up with and where our joy is found. This may be silly, but I think it makes some sense. And it's summer, so maybe it's more relevant.

For this, you need to remember something from Science class:
-the principle of water displacement. The mass of some object, when put in a water glass, will displace that same amount of water.

Think of a swimming pool. A big one in your back yard. We're the pool. What's in the pool, the toys, accessories, people, the water -- is what's in our lives. More specifically, the water in the pool represents the spiritual joy that comes from Jesus and Him alone. When we come to believe in Jesus and grow in His likeness, we're adding water to the pool. We get to a normal level, and everything is ok. You can throw in a float or two into a pool, maybe some diving rings to the bottom, but not much changes. These things might represent some simple material possessions that add joy to our real lives. Having a car, having a home to build a family up under God's grace, these things are not inherently wrong and they add contentment to our lives.

Don't forget people!

People fill up your pool much better than the floats or diving rings. In our lives, that principle holds true. More satisfaction SHOULD come from relationships with others than the material things that are in our pool.

As for the people, some people might dive into the pool, hopefully they do it so as not to splash too much water out of the pool. There are those people who sometimes do cannonballs into your pool, and that causes a lot of water to be lost. Remeber, the water = joy. The people who jump into your pool of life are those who make up your community and relationships. And yes, you'll have the occasional doof who pees in your pool. Overall, having people in your pool adds to the fun and enjoyment of it. The right number of people in your pool raises your water level almost to the top level of the pool. But still, most of what's in the pool is water, the joy found in Christ.

What happens when we start throwing in too many pool accessories into our pool? At first we think great!, more cool pool toys! but then we start losing the water that's in our pool. Uh oh, not good. This happens in our lives. We go beyond levels of satisfaction found in a relevant, minimal, meet-the-need set of material goods to where we start displacing the joy in our lives. The water flows out of our pool. And for what? An underwater motorized swimming machine? You mean to tell me we're getting rid of that universal, life-giving, life-sustaining water for some pool toy? Cool as it may be, is that the smartest move? What's going to happen in a severe heatwave? The fires of life...we better have a lot of water in our pool stored up before those come on, or our pool might evaporate completely then our pool foundation starts to crack.

On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." (John 7:37-38 NIV)

Be it summer, or whatever season of the year, that your life may be filled up as much as possible with the joy that is found and can only be found in the fullness of Jesus, the Christ.