Story Time- Why I Started Daily Showers As A Boy

A few months ago, I was talking one day with the 5th grade teachers. They mentioned they talk to the children after they return from physical education about the need to take showers every day. They do so because when the children return from physical education, their classroom is full of ‘stinky’ children. A dilemma faced by 5th grade teachers that lower grades teachers do not have to contend with.

It reminded me of why I started taking daily showers when I was that age. Yes my parents talked to me about it. Yes teachers in school talked about it in class for the whole class. But I did not pay attention to my parents or teachers.

In the summers I was on a swim team each year. The summer after 5th grade I was preparing to go to summer camp. I told my swim team coach I would miss one week because I was going to summer camp. He said, “remember to take a shower every day. Swimmers do.”

In my 11 year old mind, that translated into the coach had just told me a secret to being a good swimmer. From that day on I took showers every day because the coach told me to. Of course as a 14 year old I realized it was not a secret to being a good swimmer but I continued to do so because there were girls to impress.

Fortunately we do not need to worry about cleansing ourselves spiritually to come into the presence of God. Jesus does that for us. He cleans us up. Hebrews 10 teaches us:

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,  by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body,  and since we have a great priest over the house of God,  let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

If we trust in Jesus, he cleans us up spiritually.

Thank you for reading. God Bless.