learning

This little guy will probably never experience what I experienced today. My son was introduced to water soon after birth as were my other children. If we continue with lessons in proper swimming technique, his lack of fear for water will propel him forward.

But I, on the other hand, am a bit of a different story. Many things can be self taught, but not all. Even though I love water, the "doggy paddle" is just about the height of my expertise. Recently injuring my foot, I've been on the lookout for other forms of exercise and figured that my free pass to the pool is great reason to take up swimming. As you can imagine, something other than paddling like my furry friends would be much more efficient.

Arriving at the pool before some of you were awake this morning, my buddy began to give me some basic lessons about "proper" kicking, breathing, and a variety of different strokes. After some time, spluttering and clowning around, my friend could not help but laugh at me. Looking up, I noticed the life guard perched high on his chair like a little bird trying his best to act professional, but unable to completely conceal the smirk creeping across his lips as he observed this "big kid" (klutz) trying to learn to swim. As is often the case with me and popular sports of any kind, humility was a much needed virtue at that point in time. Somehow it becomes humiliating to learn things that are expected that one should already have mastered.

I wonder about an application to the spiritual life? Humility is needed to learn the great lessons of value and sometimes some of us learn them long after others do-which is okay. Maybe we need to give grace to those who discover them later along the journey!