Torture Lessons
It is my opinion that every child should have swimming lessons, so that there would be no reason to have needless deaths in our country from a child drowning just because they don’t know how to swim. Therefore I was excited on a recent trip to Houston to discover that 3 year old Molly was in swim lessons.
In the past Molly has enjoyed the water only when she has had some type of mechanism to keep her afloat—a parent's arms, floaties or an inner tube. She tried swimming lessons last year and was traumatized by the method—sink or swim.
I happened to be there for her first few lessons and to an outsider just listening they would have thought for sure a case of child abuse was in process. Molly yelled and screamed from the moment she saw the teacher until she realized that we were not going to rescue her.
The teacher has an unusual method of teaching the children. There is no preliminary preparation, such as keep you mouth closed, make bubbles by blowing through your nose; it’s just toss them in the water and see if they float. During lesson one, Molly took in so much water, she threw up twice and kept turning to us looking as if to say, “Why are you letting her do this to me?” however, by the end of the lesson she could get to the top of the water and float on her back.
Day two, Margaret made the mistake of telling Molly that she would be going to swimming lessons after ballet. Thus the screaming started at 8:30AM and continued for an hour or more before leaving the house for a play date and then ballet class. The crying and wailing started again when en route to the pool. “I don’t want to go!” “Please don’t make me!” “I don’t like to swim!” She droned on and on at the top of her lungs.
At this point Margaret turned to me and asked if she was making a mistake and I replied with a firm no. Molly might not like to swim and the method of learning to swim might be a bit harsh, but to quit at this point would do 2 things—it would endanger Molly around the water and it would allow her to think that she had won the battle. Neither of these things was good.
After I returned home, Molly completed the last three days of instruction and graduated from swim lessons. The torture, anxiety, and screaming was all worth it. Molly would be more confident around water and would be able to get herself to safety if she accidentally fell into the water. What seemed like harsh treatment at the time had a positive outcome.
God’s plan for our lives can be a lot like Molly’s swimming experience. It can seem a bit harsh and unfair and we want out of it, but God’s plan for our lives is not to be mean or bring harm to us, instead it is always to benefit us—to make us better, to conform us to His image and to bring about God’s perfect plan. So instead of struggling and complaining and having our own little pity party, let’s trust His plan for us, knowing that He loves us and wants the best for us.
Genesis 50:20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
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