Hot and Cold Rivers

One of the things that we are looking forward to on our trip back east, is swimming in the river. The rivers on the east coast are quite warm. Last time we were there, we went in May and I could have stayed in the water all day. This year, we are going in June, and Grig says the water can be as warm as a bathtub.

Conversely, the river water where we live is very cold, especially since the snow is still melting in the mountains. The run-off makes the rivers quite chilly. This weekend when we went to visit the geese again (see this week's video), we decided to go swimming since it was fairly warm the week before. However, when we showed up at the dam this time, the water was much deeper and chillier.

Though Kevin and I waded into it a few times, Grig found it much too cold. We enjoyed ourselves though.

I'm used to swimming in cold water. I've never had anything else. As long as you keep moving, your body adjusts to it. It is rare that the water doesn't eventually feel warm to me after a while.

When I was a kid, we used to go to this swimming pool where they had a cool tub and a hot tub. The cold tub was freezing and the hot tub was pretty hot (thus the names), and our favorite game as kids was to run back and forth between the two and see if we could stand the temperature change.

Now I know that's not very good for your nerves, but we found it pretty fun as kids for some reason.

Grig and I were discussing why it is that water feels warmer after you are swimming around in it for a while. I tried to research to see if my theory was correct, but I haven't found anything to confirm or deny it yet.

My theory is that as you enter cold water, you blood kind of pulls inward to keep your core temperature warm. So, your limbs are allowed to cool down a bit. As your limbs cool, the temperature of the water doesn't change, but your arms are cooler and so the water feels warmer simply by contrast.

That's my theory anyway. If anyone finds anything to prove or disprove that, I'd be happy to read it. Sometimes I just go through life guessing why things work.

That's pretty much it for today. We're just super-excited for our trip!

Are Things Ever 'Just Right'?

 

Everyone knows the story of Goldilocks and the three bears.  One bowl of porridge was too hot, one was too cold, and one was just right.

However, in life, it seems that things are never 'just right'.  How many days of the year do we go outside and say, "Ah, the weather is just right today!"?  A few maybe, but not very many.

When I worked at a gas station, the most common complaint I would hear from people who were coming in during the summer was: "It's too hot!"  A few months later, during the winter people would come in and complain that it was now "Too cold!"  Very rarely did anyone say, "Ah, the weather is just right today.  I'm so glad that I went outside!"

I'm not exempt from this attitude either.  When we moved into our new apartment on the second floor, we found out that we didn't have air conditioning.  Luckily for us, heat rises, so it has been a very hot summer.  We bought a few fans and our bedroom has been livable, but it has been difficult.  Often our apartment is too hot, and we are constantly wishing that the fall months will come quickly.

However, just this week the weather took a turn for the cooler, and though I'm enjoying being outside in the cool weather, our bedroom has become too cold!  We've had to turn off the fan for fear of being frozen out!  Suddenly, I'm remembering why I like summer so much more than winter.  I HATE being cold!

I too often find myself saying things like: "When this happens, we'll be happy."  "When we graduate, things will be better."  "When we get a full-time job, things will be easier."

That isn't usually the case though.  When we do get those things, they usually come with their own version of trials, and things are equally, if not more, difficult.

A while ago, one of our leaders gave a talk that was called, "Finding Joy in the Journey."  Click on the link to read it, I'd highly recommend it.  It addressed the fact that we need to be happy wherever we are, and find things that are 'just right' right now.

So, here goes my list of 'just rights':

Right now, my husband's job is just right for us.
Right now, my baby is just the right age.
Right now, we have just hte right number of kids.
Right now, we have just the right number of pets.
Right now, we are living in just the right place.
Right now, we have just the right amount of money.
Right now, we are just right in our marriage.
Right now, I am just right in my relationship with our Lord.

That doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement in these things, but I know that as we are trying our best, we can enjoy where we are, even as we improve.

Take time out of your day.  Enjoy the little things.  Look around for small tender mercies from the Lord.  Admire the beauty of the clouds.  Enjoy having kids that mess up your house.  Enjoy having people to eat with that make dirty dishes.  Enjoy being loved by your family and friends.

Yes, things will change in time, but when they do, we can always find more things that are 'just right' with our lives.  As we do, we'll be happier now and less stressed about the future. 



What are some things in your life that are 'just right'?