A Ministry Pool

It's been said, "you've got to know your audience".  My husband is a godly man who given the opportunity will do and give anything to evangelize. After many years of pleading for a swimming pool with a laundry list of reasons why we should have one, I finally hit my husband with the one that persuaded him to come to the wet side.  It will be a MINISTRY TOOL!! I told him.  Think of the youth and children's gatherings we could host, I said, and he agreed. That was five years ago. The first three years we held several with the youth group but only a couple with the children's. The last one being a children's group party. One of the guests apparently did not want to leave when it was time and to show his dissatisfaction with the idea proceeded to use one of our bathrooms to display this. Number 2 was his tool and the damage was, while not permanent, disgusting. I have been leery of pool parties since that time two years ago.  Especially ones where there's an element of unknown about the attendees.

With 20 years of parenting under my belt I have also just become tired of dealing with kids en masse, especially poorly behaved whiny ones.  Not a very Christ like attitude, believe me I'm aware and convicted of it. We haven't offered to host anything since "the incident" and up until now haven't been asked....Friday night the kids are supposed to come.  When Sparta told me we'd been asked, I hemmed and hawed and caved to the request (albeit begrudgingly). I know, I know it's a very petty not pretty picture.

So, y'all say a prayer for me to have a positive attitude, for the safety of these kids as they come to swim, and that I can fully forgive the one who redecorated the bathroom last time. The Good Lord knows I've smeared enough poop in my own life and been forgiven.