The High Dive

Jumping from a high dive board sounds scary, but Rebecca did it! She was very excited about it and felt very proud of herself.

On her first trip to the swimming pool with the summer camp team Rebecca saw some kids jumping from the high dive board, but she didn’t. The high dive board was too high for her. But jumping from it looked so fun. She would give it a try on the next swimming trip.

One day passed. There would be another swimming trip on the next day. At the evening on the way to the piano lesson Rebecca told Mommy she wanted to list a few things that could help her jump from the high dive board. Mommy told her the following:

1. Close your eyes.
2. Say “I can do it!” to yourself.
3. Say “God, help me!”

Rebecca concluded the last two into this:

“I can do all things through him who gives me strength.”

She read this on the wall of the girl’s restroom. She said she would jump while keeping her eyes closed and saying this sentence to herself. Great idea!

On the next day Rebecca didn’t jump. It’s because she was not given the chance. She didn’t have parent permission to take a swim test. Without taking the swim test, she can’t go the deep water and the high dive. She took the swim test on her first trip and passed it, so everybody (i.e., Daddy, Mommy and herself) thought there would not be any problem. But that day they went to a different pool and Rebecca needed to take the swim test by the staff at that pool. She had worked so hard in her mind. What a pity!

“That’s okay!” Mommy said, “You’ll have chance next week!”

A few days passed. There would be a swimming trip again on the next day. At bedtime Rebecca told Mommy her fear of the high dive board. They prayed. They asked God to help Rebecca and take away her fear.

“I am still scared.” Rebecca couldn’t fall asleep.

“We have prayed. God has listened and he will help you and he will take away your fear. Trust in God!” Mommy said.

“I trust in him, but I am still scared. How can he take away my fear?”

“If Mommy tells you she will pick you up at school or at the bus stop, she will. If God says he will help you, he will. We don’t know how he will do it, but we know he will.”

“Now all I am thinking about is the high dive. I can’t stop thinking of it.”

“Think about your fear is a backpack. Now you give this backpack to God. It’s so heavy for you to carry. God is stronger and he can carry it for you. By giving it to God, you don’t think about it any more. Think about something really fun, like the fairytales play, or your birthday party.”

Then Rebecca and Mommy started to talk about the fairytales play. Very soon Rebecca fell asleep.

Then on the next day it happened as written in the beginning of this blog. A friend told her not to look at the water but the palm tree by the pool, and it helped her.

When asked how she felt, Rebecca said, “I felt I was sky diving."

Praise God! He helped Rebecca and took away her fear. He did that through that friend. Thank you, friend!