The Greater Source

It took 5 days of swim lessons, but Caleb finally became comfortable with the water and is now enjoying himself during his swim lessons.  Sometimes he gets a little overexcited and has trouble focusing, but that's a much better problem than screaming about not wanting to get in.  He generally participates well and does what his instructor asks.

While our village at the pool provided much needed support, I didn't include our greatest source of encouragement and strength in my last post.  There is One who gives peace and courage like no one else can and I think He deserves a post of His own.

Part of our naptime routine includes reading a Bible story.  Two of Caleb's favorites are David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17) and Jesus calming the storm (Matthew 8:23-27).  He had been requesting the story about the storm almost exclusively for about a week.  While Jesus and his disciples are in a boat crossing a lake, a great storm forms and the boat is tossed back and forth.  The disciples are certain they're going to perish and Jesus is sleeping all the while.  They cry out for Jesus to save them.  He simply speaks to the wind and waves and the storm quiets.  He tells the disciples that they needed not fear because He was with them.  I reminded Caleb over and over that the disciples needn't have feared the water because Jesus was with them then, and Caleb needn't fear the water because Jesus is with him now.  

David was a young Israelite.  The Philistines were a people group who desired to conquer Israel and Goliath, a giant, was one of their soldiers.  No one in the camp of Israelites was willing to fight him but David, remembering God's promise that he was with the Israelites and would protect them, rose to the occasion and slew Goliath with a sling and a stone.  David demonstrated great faith in the Lord and belief in His promises, and God proved Himself true to His character and faithfulness.  I encouraged Caleb to be brave like David.  To remember that if God is with him, he doesn't need to be afraid but can stand strong and courageous.

In the end I don't know that I got through to Caleb with my recounting of these stories.  I hope I did, that in the midst of the storm of fear and anxiety in his mind a sense of strength from the Lord took root.  I have seen his victory in swim lessons raise up a sense of bravery in him already, even in such a short time.  Within the last week there have been a few occasions which he began to approach in fear and quickly moved past it to enjoy himself, much faster than he would have before.  May every challenge provide an opportunity to grow my children in knowledge and strength of the Lord.


2 Timothy 1:7: "For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."