I'm not naturally a swimmer. The only reason I swim is because I do triathlons and swimming is a part of the race. I am a reluctant swimmer.
When I first started training back in 2008 I would just rote swim lap after lap. The goal was to be able to swim a 1/2 a mile, then 3/4 of a mile, then the biggie - 1 mile. The longer I swam the more I was able to reach my goal. Here was the problem - I didn't enjoy it very much. Not only didn't I enjoy it very much, but I really dreaded getting in the water because I knew I would be bored for he next 45 -60 minutes. I could get the job done, but it wasn't very enjoyable. This went on for 4 long years.
Then I was introduced to the idea of intervals and drills. Intervals train you to go slow for a certain amount of laps and then fast for a certain amount and back to slow. What happens is you slowly build up your speed by mixing in those fast laps into the slow ones - slowly building up. There are all kinds of intervals you can do - I won't list them all here. Drills are also fun because you do laps, but in different ways - one handed, on your back, limiting your breathing, sprinting, etc. You learn a lot and you get a lot done.
To my surprise and delight - when I focused on drills and intervals and not on time and distance, I accomplished both and had a great time doing it. Better yet - I got faster and stronger because I wasn't just concerned about the distance and time. Overall, I have become a better (not great) swimmer by focusing on the journey and not the destination.
The reason I bring all of this up is that I believe that so many of us start our spiritual walk and we really start crawling, like I started swimming - slow, but steady. We all have dreams of being the spiritual giant in the room, a prayer warrior, the person that others come to for tough Bible answers, etc. And from where we stand now - getting there seems a lifetime away (and in a certain way it is). If we only look at what we are not, we'll never get where we want to go. So mix it up a bit. Get a Bible reading plan get a prayer partner, go to a conference that teaches you about Biblical history, maybe even sign up for a class at a local seminary. Before you know it you'll be on your way and stronger than before. But you have to take your eyes merely off of destination and allow yourself to develop along the way.
Dive in!!
When I first started training back in 2008 I would just rote swim lap after lap. The goal was to be able to swim a 1/2 a mile, then 3/4 of a mile, then the biggie - 1 mile. The longer I swam the more I was able to reach my goal. Here was the problem - I didn't enjoy it very much. Not only didn't I enjoy it very much, but I really dreaded getting in the water because I knew I would be bored for he next 45 -60 minutes. I could get the job done, but it wasn't very enjoyable. This went on for 4 long years.
Then I was introduced to the idea of intervals and drills. Intervals train you to go slow for a certain amount of laps and then fast for a certain amount and back to slow. What happens is you slowly build up your speed by mixing in those fast laps into the slow ones - slowly building up. There are all kinds of intervals you can do - I won't list them all here. Drills are also fun because you do laps, but in different ways - one handed, on your back, limiting your breathing, sprinting, etc. You learn a lot and you get a lot done.
To my surprise and delight - when I focused on drills and intervals and not on time and distance, I accomplished both and had a great time doing it. Better yet - I got faster and stronger because I wasn't just concerned about the distance and time. Overall, I have become a better (not great) swimmer by focusing on the journey and not the destination.
The reason I bring all of this up is that I believe that so many of us start our spiritual walk and we really start crawling, like I started swimming - slow, but steady. We all have dreams of being the spiritual giant in the room, a prayer warrior, the person that others come to for tough Bible answers, etc. And from where we stand now - getting there seems a lifetime away (and in a certain way it is). If we only look at what we are not, we'll never get where we want to go. So mix it up a bit. Get a Bible reading plan get a prayer partner, go to a conference that teaches you about Biblical history, maybe even sign up for a class at a local seminary. Before you know it you'll be on your way and stronger than before. But you have to take your eyes merely off of destination and allow yourself to develop along the way.
Dive in!!
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