Jonaton Mårtensson, a Swedish national, born in 1796 once remarked: "Feelings are much like waves: we can't stop them from coming, but we can choose which one to surf." Jeremiah 5:22 reminds us: “Do you not fear me? declares the Lord. Do you not tremble before me? I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass; though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; though they roar, they cannot pass over it.”
Surfing the waves is an idiom that means to ride a wave on a surfboard, either standing or lying down, as it moves toward the shore. Surfing is a sport that has rapidly increased in popularity during recent years. The variable waves required to perform the proposed feats come in various forms, and are often affected by currents and wind. Due to these conditions, there are many favorite spots around the world that are deemed as ideal to perform either the basic introductory functions for beginners, or for the advanced, to attempt the demanding challenges of unpredictability frequently encompassed with larger waves.
The customary pattern in some areas allow for surfers to gently master the basic skill and competence which gradually enhances the skill for the more demanding waves of life. As each powerful fresh wave gathers speed, height and momentum, the crescent reaches its crest and sometimes overpowers the most skillful of persons. In a case like this, one of two choices exist, either to go with the flow and attempt to ride the wave to the best of one’s ability, or to remain static and hope that one is not enveloped in its overall height and force. But which one do we choose to surf?
Waves can be both good and bad. They may look awesome and spectacular from afar, but may conceal danger and unpredictability closer within. Psalm 1 reminds us: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”
Deception abounds everywhere and surfing is no exception. The waves may release more force and strength that take one by surprise. Life is similar and we often need to seek God’s help for His calming hand. Matthew 8:23-27 reminds us: “And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
If we have hope and trust in God in times of risk or peril, His faithfulness will always endure and He will often provide the necessary protection we seek. God is always within us, in the security He provides for His children. As each child seeks protection from its earthly father in times of peril or adversity, so God is there for us. He will lead us to safety with the assurance of his guiding love. Jeremiah 31:31-36 reminds us: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord.
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar - the Lord of hosts is his name: “If this fixed order departs from before me, declares the Lord, then shall the offspring of Israel cease from being a nation before me forever.”
Waves can resemble the trials of life. Their size and speed often dictate the many ups and downs that everyone experiences. Their motion is largely repetitive and continual but with a determined focus. They may carry human life from the perils of the outer depths of the sea to the safety of the shore. However, they are non-conformist. Every wave is different from the next and totally unpredictable. As each rises to its maximum breaking point, it may deceptively conceal an action that is not expected. Michael Leunig, an Australian professional cartoonist once remarked: “I think we live in delusional times, whether it's with a great ability to totally distract ourselves with technology, or with speed and the velocity of life.”
Like the consistent unpredictability that waves can create, the expectancy of life can provide a similar experience. What we hope for, we don’t always get. We may be thrown off course by a sudden rogue wave that instills turmoil or confusion. Constant forceful waves that batter the shore may erode its coastline causing damage. The same may apply in our relationship with God. Factors can influence how we feel about Him. Just as God is often thanked for the pleasing gifts in life, God will often be blamed for the rogue waves too. These may cause instability or engulf us in its turbulent forceful swirl. But waves can also deliver, the constancy of waves can represent the deliverance of God. Psalm 50:15 confirms: “And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”
Surfing is known to have beneficial effects to the body and mind. It may invoke adrenaline rushes that create a sense of euphoria, especially if we are able to stand fast when riding them. It creates an inbuilt determination to succeed over the waves. It creates a strong element of achievement when one has accomplished the desired element of success. Perhaps an endorphin rush may follow from the feelings of goodness created. But perhaps more importantly, it is a special connection or bond with nature and God. The feeling of freedom, no matter how short its lasting experience, in vast open spaces, may provide that certain “je ne sais quoi,” that only God can supply.
Just as mankind can become slaves to sin, so surfers may become slaves to the sea. Its beckoning thrill consistently draws and invites one to tackle its challenges. Romans 6:14-19 reminds us: “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.”
Amen.
