Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Learning to Sink or Swim

We are in the middle of INTENSE, daily swimming lessons. Our instructor uses the Australian Method, which is code for throw them in over and over again.
I am not kidding.
Needless to say, I do not have any pictures of our lessons, but this is K practicing swimming at home before we started lessons...

and this is how she looked as I tried to get her to walk from the car to the pool area for our lesson...

It reminds me of an old Allen Levi song about a baby bird: "I am learning to fly on a windy day, certain there must be a better way. I know it's been said no pain no gain, but I feel like I am stuck in a hurricane, just learning to fly on a windy day."

I don't really intend for this post to become a debate about swimming methods, but instead about the tough parenting decisions of making/allowing your children to be afraid (even terrified) in the short-term if it is for their long-term good. As I hand them over to their wonderful, patient instructor they are screaming, protesting, pleading with me to not make them do it...but I do, because I love them. My fear of them drowning for lack of survival skills trumps their fear of the water.

I can imagine it is similar with our Father in heaven as we are in the midst of frightening circumstances, begging Him to save us. He sees the big picture, while we just see the circumstances. Sometimes, even though we don't understand it, "handing us over" is for our ultimate safety.

4 comments:

Patricia said...

i love the analogy of trusting God's bigger picture for us.

Perri said...

I went through this exact thing with Wesley today. He is so afraid of the water - but once he gets in, he's OK. Just getting him to jump in though requires brute force, threats and bribes.

Swim lessons are a great idea.

Anonymous said...

AMEN! Ree Ree

Lauren said...

I'm a little bit (ok a good two almost three years!) behind in reading your blog. I just discovered you yesterday and I LOVE reading. Your kids seem like so much fun! I'm getting ready for a little one in October and have gotten great ideas already.

The swimming pool post reminded me of my own lessons. I, too, had an instructor that used the Australian method and we were in the Atlanta area. I loved it, my sister HATED it. Your instructor's name isn't Mr. Stalvey is it? Still gives my sister the shivers!