According
to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Every day, about ten
people die from unintentional drowning. Of these, two are children aged 14 or
younger. Drowning ranks fifth among the leading causes of unintentional injury
death in the United States.”
That’s
really unfortunate, but the CDC goes further to report, “For every child who
dies from drowning, another five receive emergency department care for nonfatal
submersion injuries.” Factors that contribute to the risk of death by drowning
include a lack of close supervision and a lack of barriers around pools and
other bodies of water.
Still
the number one factor the CDC lists is the “lack of swimming ability.” They
also are quick to point out, “Research has shown that participation in formal
swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning among children aged 1 to 4
years.”
I
don’t know if my mother knew all of this when we were growing up or not. She
was a public health nurse, so I suspect that she did. Nevertheless, she
enrolled us in swimming classes at the YMCA when we were very young. I don’t
even remember learning to swim. I just remember loving to swim. And I still
love it.
As
a former American Red Cross certified Water Safety Instructor I loved teaching
kids to swim. They were so excited as they learned one skill, which led to mastering
another, which led to undeniable proficiency in moving through the water from
one side of the pool to the other.
One
the first things I had to teach my students was that the water would hold them
up. They could float. One at a time I would take a student from the side of the
pool, ask them to roll on their back while I held them loosely by the
shoulders. I would tell them to relax, and pretty soon I could show them my hands
were no longer holding them up. They were floating.
Sometimes
this didn’t last too long. They would become anxious, tense up, and start
fighting the water. I would step in, lift them to the side of the pool, and let
them catch their breath so we could try it again in a few minutes.
Jesus
said, “Come to me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy loads,
and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:29). Makes me wonder how many people would
feel less like they are drowning if they quit struggling so hard and received
the rest Jesus has offered to give.
