Encouragement for When You Can’t Stop Circling the Pool

I’m trying to incorporate an intentional time of quiet reading that isn’t for entertainment, review, or writing help, but for my own growth. One of the books mentioned if you try to be spontaneous about it, there isn’t a great success to accomplishing reading time, and I’m finding that to be true.

But I digress.

Honestly, I don’t even know what I was reading about, but as I read, a memory from childhood came to mind.

I was ten, give or take. Back then fear ruled everything I did, or wanted to do. We were at my parent’s friends house, and they had an inground pool.  Although I had a few years of swimming lessons under my belt, I never had the courage to jump in the deep end. When it came to entering the deep end, it was always the same. I took the ladder and took things step by step. Diving? Uh-uh. Jumping? Nope.

Oh, but I wanted to.

And everyone that night knew it.

I circled the pool the way a cat stalks an unaware bird. But every time I thought about jumping in, I allowed fear to take over, and I stepped back.

My dad’s friend came over to chat. I can’t remember the conversation, but my focus was talking. And before I knew it, the guy gave me a gentle but intentional shove.

And I was in the pool.

At first I was mad, okay, furious. But once I got out of the pool I realized something.

The fear was gone.

It wasn’t a smooth jump, but it was a plunge into something new.

Thirty seconds later, I was back in the pool, via a jump.

I was in the pool the rest of the night.

Years later I had the opportunity to attend an event on Indiana University property. Part of the experience was swimming, and I looked up at the highest diving board I’d ever seen. I felt terror and excitement because I knew, like that pool years before, I wanted to go off that board.

But I was scared.

I didn’t have my parents or their friends with me, so I took those steps, measuring the fears. It’s so high. People will look at me. I’m so ugly, especially in this suit. I can’t dive.  What if something goes wrong?

I could hear the screams of pleasure as peers went ahead of me. If they were scared, I didn’t hear it. They were having a blast.

When it was my time to walk the board, I envisioned that friend of my dad’s chatting with me, and giving me a nudge that would put me in the water. Within seconds I was in the pool, thrilled I literally took a plunge from a height I had never known.

I have a feeling I’m blogging this not because I want to share a trip down memory lane, but you need a visual to encourage you today. Is there something new you want to try that is both exciting and terrifying at the same time? Stop circling the pool and trust God to give you that nudge. He knows the what if’s more than you do. He knows what’s best. If He’s shown you to, He’ll see you through.

Will life be easy? No. But from this chubby girl who was looking at fun from the outer skirts, I’m so glad someone gave me a loving push.

I look forward to hearing your “I took the plunge” stories!

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