She was five. Already brave and outgoing. And, like her dad, a type A who never met a stranger. Â But she tip-toed around water. Â She was okay walking around in the shallow end wearing her swimmies. Those kept her head above water.
I thought it was time she lost her fear of the water. Â We moved down to the waist-high area of the pool. Â I stood in the water a few feet from the edge.
“Jump in, Leah,” I said.
She would have no part of it. She stood on the bank with one of those 5-year-old “No, I’m not going to” defiant objections.
“Oh, come on. Daddy’s right here. I’ll catch you.” Â I spread my arms wade apart. “I’ll catch you.”
“No! I’ll get water in my nose.”
This war of pleas and objections went on for 10 minutes. She finally worked up the courage to walk to the edge of the pool. “Hold your nose and jump in,” I said. “I’ll catch you. I promise. Just trust me.
She finally held her nose and jumped. I dunked her head under water for two seconds. She survived! She thought jumping into
the pool and daddy catching her was a blast!
So, my five-year-old jumped off the edge of the pool and daddy caught her . . .again and again . . .for the next 45 minutes! She never got tired. Daddy did. Or we’d still be at that pool.
Once my daughter learned her daddy would do what he said he would do, she trusted him.
Isn’t that true with our Daddy? When we learn once that we can trust God to do what He says He will do in a circumstance we surrender to Him, isn’t it easier, the next time to trust him with another circumstance or trial or dilemma?
For His Glory 