Be Still and Soak

Day after day, 100° or more... If I wasn’t a native Texan, if I didn’t have deep roots here, if I didn’t have more to love here than the climate, I might run. But I know that this extremely hot summer isn’t the norm. In fact, the last two summers were unusually cool for Texas. I remember this for a particular reason, which I’ll explain.

I have a thing for water, but it wasn’t always so. Several years ago, the idea of submersion in the miraculous substance of H₂0 became fixed in my consciousness. Essential for life, both its scientific properties and spiritual symbolism fascinate me. Water activities have never been a part of my life, but I began to desire contact with water. Not just desire, but long for, dream about, obsess over.

I began to imagine being submerged, floating, reveling in the feel of it, and I wanted to do it in my own backyard. I visualized a beautiful soaking pool right in the middle of my covered patio. Surely there's a way to just cut a big hole in the concrete and insert a pool! Oh my...is that fantastical thinking! I even had John, a pool designer/installer friend, come to evaluate the possibility and give me an idea of cost. I came to my senses. With all my irrigation, plants, limited access to backyard, etc. it would destroy years of work. And, it's impossible to "cut hole, insert pool".

An in-ground pool was not an option, but I found the perfect solution in a stock tank pool, aka an STP, aka cowboy pool.  In case you don’t know, an STP is a galvanized or polyurethane container generally used to provide water for livestock. They come in several sizes from 4 ft- 10 ft. and about 2 ft deep. They suddenly became very popular during Covid, probably because people were spending a lot more time at home.

In late August of 2020 the same John did a wonderful thing for me. I wanted an STP for my birthday, the 23rd. He made it happen, even though he had never installed one before. I was so excited! Summer was ending and I couldn't wait to spend time soaking and floating. But almost every day it rained or wasn’t hot enough to heat up the water sufficiently. I didn’t get to use the pool much, so I was looking forward to the next summer—but, alas, it was cooler than normal!

After years of waiting for shade, I now needed more sun. The shade in my backyard and cooler than normal nights kept the water too cool for me. I like warmish water—the shock of cold on my skin just doesn’t appeal, no matter how hot it is outside! I used the pool several times that summer, but not enough to satisfy that seemingly insatiable desire to be in water. That’s why I remember the two summers that weren’t hot enough to warm the water. This summer has been unusually hot, perfect for pool soaking.

When I’m in the pool, I’m physically removed from garden work and I’m able to be still and quiet, take notice of what’s around me, and ponder the invisible behind it all.

Ideally, I have a good soak in the morning after working awhile. Being still in the water settles me, and my stillness invites the birds to descend. They flit back and forth from bird feeder to bird feeder. Some eat the spilled seed on the ground, and some sit in trees and watch. A squirrel drinks upside down from the lion fountain and I see an anole on the fence extending his beautiful red dewlap. The gently moving water creates a shimmering reflection on the plants around the pool.

Taking time to experience the wonders inherent in creation stirs up awe for the Creator. Over and over I’m blown away by the genius and creativity displayed in nature. These things are easy to overlook if I’m focusing on gardening chores, not paying attention.

Not everyone can have a pool to soak in—I’m so very grateful that I do. It’s added a new dimension to my life: an opportunity to enjoy God’s gift of water, another avenue to stillness, and a way to cope with intolerable heat. Now, I actually enjoy and look forward to Summer—but I must confess that if you see me, there’s most likely damp swimwear underneath my summer dress.

“Work in the invisible world at least as hard as you do in the visible.” Rumi