Life Lessons in the Pool

When I was a very small kid my father taught me how to swim. He loved the water! The first thing he taught me was how to float. On my back, feet together in a frog position, his hand under my back he waited until I felt it. There it is I was floating. Then he slowly moved his hand away. I was floating by myself. Learning to float first was a great thing. Trust and safety was established. I now trusted my father and myself in the water. As I moved forward in my lesson I knew I could roll to my back and float, rest. I knew I was going to be ok.

What a great thing to teach first, how to rest in your new environment.  I don’t remember anything else about my first lesson with my Dad but that. He created trust with me and gave me a confidence before anything else. Wow!

Later on my parents sent me with my older siblings to swimming lessons. The pool was one of those long ones. Not like the pools at hotels but the ones where the races are held. Our instructor was a man named George. He did not get in the water. He taught from the edge of the pool with a long stick. He taught us different strokes and then required us to swim laps. You were not allowed to rest during laps. No holding the side of the pool or he would hit you with the stick. I don’t remember him ever hitting anyone. He periodically hit the water with his stick. I made a loud smacking noise, whack! Needless to say I did not like these lessons. But I did learn something important about myself. I am stronger than I think I am. I think it is important to learn this early in life that when you have to you can dig deep and persevere. I wanted to rest but it was not an option.  In water there is always the risk of drowning. You need to know you are stronger than you think.

These experiences were both very valuable ones. Well, our Heavenly Father teaches us in similar ways. He teaches us to float, how to find rest anywhere. His hand is so close by. He builds my confidence in Him that He is never far. But, He also teaches us through life experiences that we are stronger than we think and more than conquerors.  These life lessons in water have been life shaping for me and I am able to trust and risk at the same time.