A Return to Swimming

It had been well over a year...maybe two...maybe more, hard to say, hard to remember.  But as my youngest son was signed up to participate in a basketball camp this week at the gym, it seemed like a good opportunity to get back to regular workouts.  Which brings us to Tuesday morning.  Following "drop off" I made my way to the pool to try a few laps.  It is supposed to be good for you.  Again, it has been one...maybe two years since I have last attempted this.  Remembering how it used to be...one to two years ago--it should not be too hard.

I entered the water, which was a little cloudy but not too cold.  I adjusted my goggles and pushed off the wall...if Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps is a jet in the water, then I'm a helicopter--slapping and flapping in the water in a desperate attempt to stay afloat.  Not pretty!  After what seemed like an hour I grabbed the edge of the pool with much puffing and blowing...light headed.  Half a lap done.  I don't remember it being so hard.

Push off and back toward the other end...

Several laps later--a man asked, "How are you doing?"  I replied, "I'm trying not to drown!"  He said, "I understand."  Push off toward another lap.

Thirty minutes later I had flapped and slapped my way through eleven laps.  The results, or at least what it felt like to me:  torn rotator cuff, torn ACL, ear lavage, bruised or broken ribs--maybe both, brown lung, black lung, iron lung, hey!--aqualung!  I crawled up the ladder and flopped on a nearby chair...it took some time to regroup.  Muscles were shaking and quaking.  Hurling is not out of the question.  Oh, what was I thinking?

Then it dawned on me, you have to swim more than once a year...or two, in order not to suffer complete body systems failure.  You must vigilantly practice.  You must discipline yourself regularly to grow and become proficient at anything.  Neglect will cause regress.

Not surprisingly, the same principle applies to our spiritual growth.  You must discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.  You cannot drift towards holiness.  It takes hard work.  Regular hard work, otherwise you will be slapping and flapping around spiritually and you will fall short of your potential in Christ.