As we near the end of the year and I find myself in a place of reflection, two childhood memories come to mind. At three or four years old, I would go to the pool in the apartment complex where we lived. I guess my mother felt comfortable enough to send me with my aunt to the pool because she was a lifeguard and could swim like a fish. I remember my aunt telling me to hold her around her neck and shoulders and she would swim to the deep end. Back and forth she’d swim from the 3 feet to the 12 feet and thereI was holding onto her and laughing along the way.
My second memory is very similar only this time I was at the YMCA in downtown Louisville. I don’t know if this was an outing with my daycare or if I was actually taking swimming lessons but I do remember what seemed like instructors being there and directing our activities in the pool. Again, I couldn’t have been more than four or five. This time, the instructor told me to jump off the diving board and she would catch me in the water. I know the water had to be at least eight feet deep and yet without a second thought, I jumped off the diving board and into the hands of the instructor who then swam me over to the safety of the wall.
What amazes me the most about these two experiences is the fearlessness that I displayed. In spite of not knowing how to swim, I trusted the adults in my life enough to do what they asked me to do without question. This gets me to thinking about God and what He requires from his children. As we enter 2008, I believe that God is calling us to a boldness…a fearlessness in our obediance of Him. He is going to call us to make some big jumps and we have to somehow overcome everything life has told us about the potential dangers of that jump and trust that He is going to be there to catch us. I held onto my aunt because she told me to and although I knew that the water was too deep for me to swim in, I also knew that as long as I held on to her that I would be okay and I could enjoy the ride. There are going to be times where the only way that we can swim through the “deep ends” of our life will be to hold on tightly to His Word…to Him…and allow Him to carry us through it safely.
The bible says, “Without Faith, it is impossible to please God.” My goal in 2008 is for my words, actions, and thoughts to be a sweet fragrance to God and that He will be pleased with them. In order for me to accomplish that, I have to fully understand that Fear , in any form, has no place in my life.
HeARTtalk - Healing Through Art and Story 