It’s no secret I like to swim. I have told you about it before. And I told you about my sister having a pool in her backyard. I do like to go visit at her house. Then I get to swim in her pool at least once a day. So I was very happy to visit my sister this past weekend.

One thing was different at my sister’s house. I looked out and saw the pool. All normal except for the addition of a dozen, small beach balls floating on the surface. She had purchased them for her grandsons when they came the weekend before me. She left them because the beach balls are just fun to watch. As the wind blows so go the beach balls. But that is not entirely true. Wind and waves make each ball travel on their own trajectory. It is an event to watch. Most of the time, the balls are together in a group.

Then, as I watched throughout the day, the beach balls traveled around the pool but not always in a bunch. Sometimes they were strung out in a line and sometimes there was the breakaway where one or two were off on their own. Then when you get in the pool and disturb the water, the beach balls always seem to get into a group.

I started thinking about this and it seems that we are like the beach balls. Sometimes we need to be on our own or forging our own way and sometimes we need to be in the group. And when there is trouble, such as big waves, we tend to stick together and find comfort in being part of the group. And we like to get away with our close friends or family once in a while. It was just one of those strange coincidences.

Is there a point to my story? Yes, there is. The one thing I left till now is me. When I am in the pool, I can move the beach balls or herd them into the same place or whatever. I am like God in this case. He arranges circumstances to make it the best for us to know Him better. Sometimes, it’s smooth sailing to achieve His purposes and sometimes it takes a storm full of problems and troubles. Either way God wants us have a closer relationship with Him. And that is the only thing that matters.