As a child I learned to tread water, float, dog paddle, and do the sidestroke for swimming. Swimming on either side definitely got me further than dog paddling but I really wanted to learn to do some other strokes so I could really enjoy swimming. I also wanted to be able to teach my children to swim.
It was humbling to ask for help as an adult to learn new strokes. But I humbled myself and signed up for a swimming instruction class at the YMCA. Before going I looked up different swimming strokes in the encyclopedia. I didn’t want to appear completely stupid.
The first thing they taught me was to put my face in the water; then to blow bubbles. That wasn’t so hard.. By the end of the twelve weeks of classes I was doing the breast, crawl, back and butterfly strokes.
I started doing lap swimming five days a week and became faster while competing with people in the other lanes. Now I loved swimming.
This knowledge and experience gave me the confidence to also swim in the ocean instead of just floating on the waves. I was really swimming instead of dog paddling. I wasn’t afraid of the ocean anymore.
Sometimes in life we are just floating and letting the circumstances of life take us where they will. We may be able to tread water to keep in place or dog paddle to get out of the way of a wave. But really swimming means I can maneuver in the water instead of the water having control of me.
Really living means I have plenty of resources from which to live my life. I’m not afraid of what may come my way. I’m confident in God and who he has made me to be. I choose to live purposefully and fully.in His love and will.
Are you tired of just treading water, floating or dog paddling – you have options. You can learn to really live. Jesus’ Zoe life in you will teach you to live the abundant life. Abundant living is contagious; let’s get started!
Lord, stir a hunger in our hearts for experiencing the life you have for us. Let us not settle for treading water but give us a desire to really live.
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