August 24 – “Old dogs and new tricks”

 

 

I did something yesterday I haven't done in as very long time.  I went swimming in a neighborhood pool.  Zak was anxious to show us how well he could swim.  Caleb was just happy to be there, wherever there is.  Great attitude.  I want to emulate it.  

 

Zak has come a long way since the last time we watched him at a swimming lesson in Arlington.  He wears goggles, so he doesn't have to worry about opening his eyes under water.  That would have been helpful for the swimming lessons I took when I was a kid.  But that was considered a major luxury back then.  So I lived with just keeping my eyes squeezed as tightly shut as I could keep them.  Not a good idea, by the way.  I remember crashing into the side of the pool many, many times.  I also remember never quite getting the hang of the whole breathing thing.  As a result I became a backstroke specialist.  At least that was my story at the time, and I'm sticking with it.  

 

So Zak was doing a great job of swimming and kicking.  I was hanging on to Caleb when he realized that Christi had thrown some toys into the pool and they had sunk to the bottom.  He let loose with a string of conversation that I took to mean he was interested in the items.  So he and I went over to where they were.  And he took off.  He dove under the water to get them.  He couldn't quite make it, so I helped him up.  He caught a breath and tried to go under again.  This time I went with him, eyes open of course, and helped him all the way to the bottom.  He grabbed the little truck and we hustled back to the surface.  He held it up above his head in an expression of victory.  And of course I cheered wildly and encouraged him.  And he threw the truck back into the water.  And turned and looked at me.  And again he started with the jabbering.  And again he did everything he could to make the dive.  By the time he got tired of diving, my eyes were aching.  But this is one old dog who learned a new trick.  Takes a two-year-old to inspire an old man to break an age-old habit.  

 

1 Corinthians 1:26 says, "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong."

 

Father, thank you for teaching me through little guys.  Some of your greatest lessons are there with them.  Amen.