I was never a confident swimmer. I liked to hop around on my toes and occasionally float on my back. I could swim under water just fine, but the thought of plunging my face in over and over again while freestyling was not appealing to me.

In fourth grade, all students had to take three days of swimming classes. This is where I learned that I was more capable at swimming than I thought.

I got my bag ready with my swimsuit, my pink goggles and my towel. Toward the end of the school day, my teacher got everyone lined up to walk the half mile to the community pool. The locker room was packed with other people, but I managed to get dressed, I walked to the pool room and sat on the bleachers with the other kids.

There were three courses: one that extended from the middle of the pool to the end, another that was a little shorter and the third as the shortest.

They asked for volunteers to take the longest course. I did not raise my hand. It would be too hard for me, I thought. Once those students swam, they asked for those who wanted to go on the second course. As more kids got into the pool, I felt more alone on the bleachers. Finally, they called for those who wanted to swim on the shortest course, where I felt a bit more comfortable. I stood up and walked over to the instructor, who told me to jump in and swim the course. When I was done, they directed each student to one of three areas of the pool for further instruction. They pointed me to group three­­­—­the advanced group.

I thought for sure they had made a mistake. I did not belong with the advanced swimmers. The instructor looked at each one of us and told us to line up next to the starting blocks. I was too timid to complain, so that was that. I was stuck having to do the hardest exercises.

Every time I stood in line for a new exercise, the butterflies in my stomach started to fly. But I knew I had to complete every exercise. I repeatedly had to jump in, swim from one end of the pool to the other with different aids and techniques, then climb out. Every time I got in, I gained more confidence in myself. I went through the exercises with ease, and it even became fun!

By the third day, I was pretty excited about these swimming classes, until they mentioned the ultimate challenge: the diving board.

Only group three was qualified to jump off the diving board, and I was part of it. The students jumped off one by one. When it was my turn, my mind became quiet. I don’t remember hearing anything but the muffled sounds of running water. My heart started to beat faster and faster as I walked to the edge of the diving board. I stood there. Just jump! I told myself. I counted down. Three … two … one!

The next thing I felt was the warm water envelop me. When I started to swim back up, it felt like my passage through the water would never end. Once I made it to the surface, I was so relieved. I hadn’t even realized I had plugged my nose, which we were told not to do, so my jump wasn’t perfect, but I jumped nonetheless and faced the challenge!

I was afraid of the harder course in the beginning. If it had been up to me, I would have stuck with the beginners, in my comfort zone. But I was put in the most advanced group where I was challenged and made to push myself. The instructors knew I was capable of more, even though I questioned it at first

Even though I was afraid, I kept going and tried my best. By listening to the instructors and doing what they told me to do, I got through each exercise one by one, and I was able to see for myself how capable I really was. In the end, I was excited by what I had accomplished. The fact that I was able to do them and jump off the diving board was staggering to me. I didn’t complete the challenge perfectly, but I knew for next time what I could improve on.

This lesson is something I constantly remind myself. It is easy to come across an activity that seems hard and instantly assume that it is impossible, that it is too hard. How do you really know you can’t do it? God knows how capable we are, and He gives us opportunities to show it. These often require you to be pushed to your limit like my coaches had pushed me. I would never have known what I could do in swimming unless I had done what my coaches instructed.

When the opportunity to do something difficult arises, take it with a can-do attitude and put in your best effort. Whatever our task, God tells us to do it “heartily” (Colossians 3:23). He doesn’t say, “only if you think you can.” You might not do it perfectly, but that just means there is an opportunity to grow. The Summer Educational Program is the perfect environment to apply this lesson and see what you are capable of. Maybe you will discover a new hobby or a talent you never thought you had. So the next time you are faced with a challenge, just jump in!