June begins the summer season—longer days, hotter weather, summer camp, and pool season! Across the country, thousands of kids ask their parents to take them to pools to enjoy the water. And in Snellville, the Briscoe Park pool and The Grove at Towne Center splash pad will be “hot spots” for cooling off.

I was no different as a child. I wanted to go to the community pool but didn’t know how to swim. I was afraid of the water. My fear of water began when an older cousin tossed me into the swimming pool’s deep end, saying I would sink or swim. I freaked out, thinking that I was going to drown. I violently flailed my arms as if the water was a sworn enemy to be defeated, and I sank to the bottom of the pool. After a lifeguard saved my life, my friends told me I would float if I stopped fighting the water and relaxed. I tried to follow this advice only to sink and not swim. I figured my body was either waterlogged or designed to stay on land.

I tried to overcome my fear. I took a beginner's swimming class in summer camp but have yet to learn to swim. I feared the water. I managed to reach the other side of the kiddie pool. But crossing over to the other side of the regular pool scared me to death. I was the only camper to receive a certificate who failed the swimming test. Someone had already printed the certificates, and no one had ever not earned one before. That is, at least until I participated. I never learned to swim. To this day, I'm still afraid of water, and I always pray when flying over water, thinking my waterlogged frame will be my demise even with the flotation device.

This June, I will enjoy the summer activities without water! While the calendar is filled with summer fun activities like the Outback Rock-themed adventure of VBS (June 11-13) and the game-challenging experience of the Father’s Day Challenge (Saturday, June 15), I’m looking forward to a new beginning with my first trip to Hastings, MN (a suburb of the Twin Cities), to attend the Annual Assembly for Harvest Network International. June 25-27. 

This trip represents a new season for me, as my new ordination in Harvest Network International, which was approved in November 2023, will be publicly recognized. Honestly, this trip reminds me of my nervousness as a child at summer camp. Like trying to learn to swim again, I’m a little unsettled. There’s a bit of excitement, a sense of exploration, and a lot of guarded optimism because I’ve never done this before. I’m guessing this unsettled feeling is what we all feel when beginning a new season. Like most of us, I’ll look for hints, clues, signs, or, in my case, a lifesaver (today they would be floaties) to help me float across the pool and feel more “at home” with this new adventure. 

Perhaps you’re experiencing an unsettling experience that makes you feel like you’re sinking to the bottom of the pool. I’m reminded of one of God’s promises: I will be with you when you go through deep waters. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. (Isaiah 43:2-3 NLT). This is the promise I’ve held on to like a personal life jacket to help me through the unsettling waters. The promise is also big enough to wear as a life jacket to help you seize the summer, especially when thrown into the deep pool. 

At the Intersection,

Dr. Quincy D. Brown

Senior Pastor