Lifeguard

Two parents were teaching their daughter to swim. She was only interested in hanging out by the wall where her feet could touch. The parents realized she would never develop any strength or skill until they pulled her into deeper water. It had to be deep enough that her feet couldn't touch. She flailed and kicked and paddled and cried and thought she was drowning. They never would have let her drown. They were an arm's length from her the whole time. She wasn't so sure about the change until she realized she was swimming. What freedom swimming brought! Hours and hours of playing mermaid, new sights to see with goggles, snack money for ice cream sandwiches, and increased privileges with decreased supervision.

So it is with our Heavenly Father. At times He has to pull us into new, difficult, uncomfortable, even scary situations to let us develop the strength and skills we need for eternal happiness. He is close by and aware of our nerves. I think He is also enduring our tears and whines because He can't wait for us to experience the freedom and joy that are mere moments away. If we feel distress in His deep water it is because we think we are alone and have forgotten that parents don't watch their kids drown.

The word "distress" means "to be pulled away or apart."

I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. -Joshua 1:5

He will not pull away from us. Deep water couldn't be safer.

I have done 25 minutes of physical therapy in the AFFC pool six days a week since May. (Nearly. I missed the 2 days we were in CO at the Broncos game.) I have faded 3 swimsuits, dried my heels and cuticles out, washed loads of swim towels, soaked up my Vitamin D instead of swallowing it, and had plenty of introspective water walks. My favorite time to be at the pool is from 9:35-10:00 pm; just as the pool is closing. Several times I've been the only swimmer there, enjoying the moon and the silhouette of Timp in the distance. Sometimes I've been there with the Masters Swim Class and I would do my exercises in silence except for the rhythmic flapping of laps being looped. Once I was there with a 92-year old man who mourned that he was one of only two WWII vets that comes to the pool. My favorite workouts have been when Greg tags along at night. He floats beside me and works out the kink in his shoulder while we solve our world's problems. We might not be the best couple in the world at communicating, but we do communicate well in the pool.