Teaching Your Children to Swim Life!

Summertime is a fun time, and in Houston...it is HOT!   If you are like many, you take advantage of this time to dress down, take the layers off and swim.  For many of us, we take advantage of the lighter clothing, but swimming is not what we do.  Whether it is because of how we were raised, or where we were raised, we may not have ever learned to swim.

 

I am one of those.  Raised in El Paso and traveling to Germany, it was never a priority to learn.  Now, years later.... I still don't know how to swim.  People have recommended that I take a course, but at this age it feels like I have made it this far, and I don't frequent places where I need to know how to.

 

I have accepted this but I wonder what would have happened if I learned how to swim.  Would I be one of those enjoying the break from the heat?  Would I be teaching my children to swim early?  Would I have looked for a house with a pool?  I will never know, because I never learned.

 

 

DROWNINGS

This is the time of year that we hear about children drowning-sometimes in their own back yards.  Many times it is a young child that wandered into water and no one saw it coming.  There are times that the child knew how to swim, but went alone into waters deeper than they could handle.  Children have also drowned in the midst of a crowd of people, everyone is so busy that somehow no one saw their struggle that may have looked like swimming.   I have found that many children always think they can swim better than they actually can.  A small child will remember having fun in the water and not know it is dangerous when there is no one there to pull them out.  I talked to my son about his swim level, and I know he is not as good as he thinks, so his father has signed him up for another swim class to help him.  It can be embarrassing when you are as tall as he is, but his safety is more important than his pride.

You already know I am going to bring a spiritual twist, so here it goes.

SWIMMING IN LIFE

I love this generation of thinkers, this group of young people are fearless!  They think about things we have never tried, and they are not scared to jump!  The only problem is that they are wandering into the deep, but some have not been taught to swim at that level.

 

I talk to people all the time, and if you went by what they say... you would believe they were Olympic medalists cutting through life like a sharks!  But the truth of the matter is they are only floating or swimming at a amateur level.  Fun in the water can fool you.   I realize if they wandered into the deep end or if rough waters come, without help they would go under, and if those around them are not skilled to help in the time of crisis, it can get worse.  It is hard to convince someone already in the water that they need more training, another class... or two.  Sometimes pride can creep in when they see their peers swimming in the deep.  We need a better line of communication with the kids when they are young and make swim lessons (mentoring)  the norm. We should be preparing children to do life.

DRY DROWNING

Something that has recently come into the light is called Dry Drowning and Secondary Drowning.  I heard about this years ago, and it concerned me when it came to my kids.  With Dry Drowning, the water never gets into the lungs, but breathing in water causes the vocal cords to swell making it hard for the child to breathe.  This is noticeable right away and easier to get help with.  With Secondary Drowning, it happens when water does get in the lungs, but not enough to initially drown you.  There are immediate signs that there is difficulty, but it may just look like symptoms of stress from the first episode.  If not dealt with, days later the lungs can get irritated and build up fluid causing a 'second drowning'.  Both instances are tragic and can result in the unnecessary loss of life.  

 

Again, think about the people you teach and mentor at your church, your personal time or ministry.  Knowing and understanding the guidelines that God gives us for life can help them not be overwhelmed by life.  Sometimes this group takes too much in, and they choke for a moment, then they look alright.  But unless we walk with them, we will miss the signs that something is horribly wrong.  I have talked with people that go through tough times and they LOOK like they are okay when they come out, but days or even years later, we see the signs that they are not at all well.  It is easier to walk with them and watch them, than to let irritations persist and try to save them when too much damage has been done.  We have in our circles people who are in the midst of drowning.

 

LIFE COACH

I encourage every person who helps as a life coach, to pay attention to those you mentor.  Don't just throw in a life line when they are out in the deep, sometimes you have to pull them ashore, check them out and let them know, they need more training.  We need to walk with them, watch them and ensure that whatever is bothering them they have moments to get it out. 

For them, it may be hard to get past the pride, especially  if they are older and already tasted the deep waters. but as a parent and a coach, we really love people, and since we do,  we make sure before they get back  in the water... they can handle it. 

For the young ones, think about how far they can go, how much they can do if they learn to swim life well.  If they never learn the balanced lessons of integrity, humility, gratefulness, forgiveness along with other life lessons, they will soon take on too much.  Just learning to float or avoid water all together takes away from the fearless, strong generation they are.  

If we want to see God move greatly in this next generation, we will need to take out all stops.  Remove every hindrance that will try to block them, teach them well, hold them accountable for what they have been taught then stay near them as we watch them SWIM!