Floaties

“If she would just listen to me!” I bet I have said that a thousand times this weekend. We have spent most of our time playing in the pool. The majority of it was fun.


I did say… majority.

Exactly twice this week we have had to save Anna Kate from drowning. Do it to me once, shame on you, do it to me twice... shame on me.


I know, and to avoid any more incidents, I have already purchased her some floaties and a ski belt. I have declared defeat. I cannot do this all summer. I do not want to be the mom at the pool, in the corner, eating glue.


It is always the same thing with her. She is just fine( honestly for hours) then all of a sudden she gets in water that is just too deep.


Her problem is a typical childhood phenomenon. Short kids who can’t swim, don’t do well in deep water. An epiphany…. I know.


She is great as long as she can touch. The world is fine as long as SHE is in control. Everything is fun and sunshine until she can’t reach the bottom of the pool any longer.


She panics when she loses her footing.


Her problem is simple. In her little mind, Anna Kate can swim. She scoffs at my warning , even when I stand on the edge and point out specifically where safety lies. She can swim. The other kids are doing it. She can swim. She doesn’t need my help, or my advice. I tell her that her skill has not yet been honed, and caution is her friend. Her tenacity is fearless. No need to listen to me. While I question her ability, she has decided that she can swim. What do I know? I am an overprotective parent in her eyes…… until. She struggles, she takes in water, and she chokes and gags and screams for me.


Amazing! Mommy was right!” Now, like any mother would, I jump in and I save her. But, I would really rather not have all that drama. Poolside is meant to be relaxing. If she could just stay in the boundaries that I set up, we wouldn’t need all the splashing.


I am going to get really honest with you here… I think that sometimes we do that with God. At least , I know I do. God says “Stay here. It is where I want you”. And we half- way listen. We stay “around” where we are supposed to be. We take on roles, responsibilities, and relationships that were never meant for us. We begin drowning in water that we had no business swimming in anyway.



Sometimes we realize it before it gets too far and we go back to safety. Other times, we push the boundaries .We think we can handle it. We have it all under control and then we take one step too far. We begin to go under, and all we can do is wait and hope that God is going to jump in and save us once again.


“I can do this. I can . I got this one God!” All the while He is saying, “ Don’t go there. You are not ready. That water is deeper than you think. Stay in my safety. You can’t handle it over there.”


And so I go….. Anyway.

Unfortunately, life doesn’t have any floaties. Unlike the simple solution for Anna Kate’s defiance, God has not designed something to keep me safe when I chose to get in over my head. Disobedience, by nature, will get you in trouble.


True, I know God will come to my rescue, but I may have to gasp and choke and scream a while. The junk I have to take in will ruin my experience. I won’t drown, but I won’t come out completely unharmed either.

So I sat there at the pool thinking about this. God tends to show up with me at the oddest times. Because it is summer and my brain is on vacation, He made the connections right there on the side of the pool for me.


He showed me how I was, at times, no different than that little girl. The same little girl that was about to get her pretty little head pinched off by her exasperated mother.


I could hear myself saying to Anna Katherine: “Girl, I wish you would just listen to me! This would be a lot more fun if you would just do what I said.”


As those words were echoing back to me, I could almost hear HIS voice when He smiled and said………


“ Yeah, I know what you mean.”