Swimming Through Fear

The first wave of grandsons are on the cusp of learning to swim by themselves and I have been pleasantly observing the process. It is a beautiful illustration of feeling fear and then moving through fear.

STEP 1: Here is your floatie. It will keep you safely above the water. Stay close to me while I see if it works!!!
STEP 2: Eliminate the floatie and trust me. I’m holding tightly on to you!!!
STEP 3: Let go of my neck, stop choking me, and let’s create some distance (an arm’s length?) between you and me. Don’t let me go!!!
STEP 4a: I’m going to let you go and let’s see how long you can stay above water. NO! I don’t want to!!!
STEP 4b: I’m going to let you go and let’s see how long you can stay above water. NO! I don’t want to!!!
STEP 4c: I’m going to let you go and let’s see how long you can stay above water. NO! I don’t want to!!!
STEP 5: I’m going to let you go and let’s see how long you can stay above water. Okay. Catch me!!!
STEP 6: I’m going to let you go and let’s see how long you can stay above water. Okay. Look at me!!! I can do it!!!
STEP 7: I’m going to let you go and I want you to swim to me. Okay. I did it!!!
STEP 8: I’m going to have you jump off the side and I will catch you. Okay. Hey, watch me!!!
STEP 9:Hey Papa … I don’t need you. I can do it by myself!!! (Papa provides safety anyway.)

Again, isn’t this precious and so like us! We are the ones trying to swim and Papa (a.k.a. God) is providing the safety. First in the form of a floatie … which we have to test ourselves. Next in the form of someone to hold on to — I think of reaching out to Jesus. First we perform a choke hold, then we resist and tell ourselves we can’t, and then (hopefully) our faith is strong enough to let go. And Jesus is right there when we need Him. Then after a bit of success on our own, a bit of cockiness and pride creeps in and we tell God, “I’m good, I don’t need you, I got things under control.” Fortunately, God (in the form of the Holy Spirit now) does not leave us alone in our foolishness and is easily accessible to give comfort and security.

Philosopher Alan Watts states … “To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim, you don’t grab hold of the water, because if you do, you will sink and drown. Instead, you relax and float.”

If you consider God as the water, this quote translates to something like this … “To have faith is to trust yourself to God. When you swim, don’t panic and grab hold of God, because if you do, you will sink and drown. Instead, relax and allow God to keep you afloat.” Amen!