“I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance…”
I am not a crier – ask anyone who
knows me. So when my husband saw me standing on the side of the pool with tears
spilling down my face, he came right over and let me fold myself into his arms.
Our 6-year-old son was swimming out in the middle lane of the Olympic-size pool. He was out there alone, not because we left him in the pool after a family swim or because it was closing time and we couldn’t reel him in. There were hundreds of people around, but he was all alone.
Our son was the youngest participant in his age group in a local triathlon for kids. He had wanted to register, and my husband, an avid triathlete himself, puffed out his daddy chest and encouraged him to go for it. My son didn’t quite know how to swim yet, and he had just learned how to ride his bike without training wheels. Yet, he is an adventurer … and, he wants to be like his dad.
We geared him up with a life jacket and spent a couple weeks helping him to practice riding his bike. He and my husband would also go out and run sprints up and down the street. It was all so much fun. However, my son was not much into “practicing.” He said “I’ll be fine,” so we let him be.
When the day of the race came, we picked up his race packet and swim cap. His legs were painted with his race number. He was so excited! However, one of the officials informed us that our son would be racing with the “7-9” age bracket because his birthday fell just after the cutoff date. To make matters worse, we were told that the swim would be twice as long for this age group. I felt a twinge of panic. We tried to negotiate, but the official was not sympathetic.
As my son lined up with the other kids, he was the only one in a life jacket. He was several inches shorter than the other boys, who were all in race swim suits and goggles. My son looked scared. My heart broke! The kids all had to swim two lengths of the pool, down and back. As the children dove into the pool to begin the race, my son slipped in the side and started on his journey … a swim that would take him twice as long as the other kids to complete. As the other boys exited the pool to begin their bike, my son made the turn to swim the return length and was the only one left in the pool.
My husband and I encouraged him from the other side of the pool where we were permitted to watch. We yelled his name and cheered him on … and my tears flowed. For the first time as a mother, I couldn’t help him. I couldn’t jump in and do something for him. I was forced to watch him struggle. It was so hard! I felt completely helpless and remember thinking that if I could jump in and push him along, I would do it in a heartbeat.
But, get this … I also knew that jumping in and rescuing him would hurt him too. If I had helped him and appeased my own hurting heart in the short term, I would be stealing a moment from him that was ultimately making him stronger in the long run. I knew that as difficult as it was to stand on the side of that pool and watch, it was good for him. My son was learning so many valuable lessons: strength of will, independence, fortitude, perseverance – to name a few. I prayed he was not wondering why I wasn’t in that pool helping him.
Guess what? I bet we can all relate. Think of
a time when you were struggling. Did you wonder where God was? Did you think He
had left you all alone? Revelation
2:2 (NIV) promises, “I know your deeds, your hard work and your
perseverance…” Perhaps
God was sitting on the side of your pool cheering you on with His own tears
flowing, all the while knowing that if He jumped in to rescue you, He would be
robbing you of something special. Perhaps your struggle, your heartbreak, your
mess caused Him great pain, yet He knew it was good for you in the long run.
God sees everything. God knows your hard work. At times, He may be helping you
build your perseverance by standing off to the side. As emotional and
distraught as this momma felt on the spectator-only side of that race, God
feels that same emotion – but tenfold – for you, His beloved child.
When times come where God seems distant, remember this: Maybe God is acting as a spectator in some of your races, not because He has left or doesn’t care about you. Rather, He may be forgoing the role of lifeguard in order to build your perseverance and strength for the long road ahead.
Prayer – God, we thank You for Your wisdom
and love. For, it is this wisdom and love that teaches us so many valuable
lessons about faith and perseverance, building us up to be made perfect one day
in eternity. Remind us that You are always with us, through times of struggle
and times of joy, cheering us on the entire race. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen!
© 2012 As A Clay Jar. All rights reserved.
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