Learning to swim

Today as I laid out by the pool I watched a man with his son. The dad, holding his son (who looked to be about 6 or 7) was backing slowly into the deep end of the pool. As the son began to realize where he was going, he immediately began to protest and attempt to squirm his way out of his fathers arms. As the boy panicked, I could see his father whisper something very calmly into his ear and then he tossed him out about 3 feet in front of him into the water. At first when the boy popped up he instinctively began to flap his little arms, but when he realized he wasn't paddling quite hard enough to keep his whole head completely above water, panic set in and he began to flail and scream for his father. The dad continued to coax and encourage him as he calmly made his way over to get his son. As soon as he was close enough, the boy, in tears, latched on and clung for dear life as his dad told him over and over "its ok son, its ok." The father held him out and showed him how to kick, and then how to float.

Half an hour later, the boy was jumping off the side of the pool into his father's arms, into the deep end...with a smile.

As I watched this scene unfold right in front of me, I couldn't help but flash back to an almost identical situation with me and my dad at about the same age. I was terrified of the water, and refused to take swimming lessons. As soon as my dad even began to loosen his grip on me, I remember freaking out and clinging on for dear life. The difference in my story though, is that my dad didn't toss me in. Maybe it was the fear in my voice or my little claws in his arm, but my dad opted to heed my panic and hold onto me. Even though it would have scared the life out of me then, and even though I know he didn't let go because I was begging him not to, now as a 27 year old who is still afraid of the water...I kind of wish he would have just thrown me in.

This little moment between father and son and the reflection of my own moment with my dad made me think about how many times in my life i've been in this same situation....but with my heavenly father. There have been so many times that i've been scared to death of what lies ahead, or terrified of a challenge or burden at hand...but God, all along, is standing there saying "it's ok, it's ok" right before He throws me in the deep end.

Why?

Because sometimes the fear will overcome you. Sometimes the anticipation of stepping out into unfamiliar territory will paralyze you and keep you from completing the task at hand. Sometimes we need to just be thrown in the deep end, under the watchful eye of someone who knows how to save us if we were to start to drown.

There are a few areas in my life, two in particular right now, where I feel like God is holding me out over the deep end. Even though I barely know how to keep my head above water, I'm ready Lord, and I trust you...toss me in.

Jamie