Beware of the Surf

I love this beach. Isn’t it beautiful? I couldn’t have gone on a better day to get a more beautiful picture. This was taken when my husband and I went on our honeymoon.

Just to look at my pictures gives me such a peace. I taught kindergarten through second grade special education for a year in Hawaii. It is my home away from home. I look at this picture and I have saved this image in my heart and when I have especially hard days, I just savor on this thought. Soaking Up the sun on a beautiful beach. This is not even my absolute favorite beach, believe it or not.

This beach is Waimea Bay on the beautiful island of Oahu. Across the street is Waimea Park, which is a rain forest, after walking through the rain forest you get to the treasure at the end of the rainbow, a beautiful waterfall.

There is a very funny story about this beach. Before I went to Hawaii, my grandfather had told me to be very careful on the North Shore, the water can be very dangerous. My grandfather was stationed there during WWII, which is a story in itself that I will tell another time, and had seen the North Shore beaches.

Looking at this picture you would never think this could be dangerous. People are in the water; the waves are practically flat. The clear blue water, which looks exactly like the pictures portray, is calm and inviting. This picture is taken in July.  Anyone that has traveled or experienced the North Shore of Oahu in the summer time would get just this. An amazing picturesque view of all of God’s amazing creation. In fact, you may find some very good snorkeling spots.

However, if you want to see what the North Shore beaches are so famous for, you would need to visit this part of the island in the winter time.  Then you would get the classic waves with the Big Surf and Big Surfing.  I am not a surfer so me being in the water any other time than summer would not be a good idea. 

I was taking my grandfather’s advice for all it was worth. One day, when I went to this beach, there was a sign that said DANGEROUS SURF.  Well, I feel that I am a person to take advice from those that may know better than I.  So on this particular day, I was only sitting on the edge of the beach. After all if a sign tells me to BEWARE of something, I am aware.

On this day, this beach was not quite as big as this picture shows because the tide was high and was covering most of the beach.  Like I said, I was sitting on the edge of the beach, and all of a sudden a wave came in and grabbed me and pulled me into the water. This beach not only gets large waves but also get large surf breaks.  Which means that there are huge drops in the beach that the waves have broken away and now are covered in water that is turning the tide over and over again. Think of an underwater washing machine.

I don’t know how many of you have been caught in a wave that is turning you about in a circle, but it is very hard to get out of.  You keep turning over and over, like in a sideways washing machine, in the water until you get tossed out, fight your way out, or you get pulled out, which was the way of my escape.

God has his hand on me that day.  I had been very careful to read all of the signs.  I had listened to people that knew more that I did about the situation, but I had gotten too close.

Isn’t our life like that so many times.  All the signs are there.  The support is there but we just have to get right to the edge thinking that we are safe. God gives us an amazing support system, His Bible. He sometimes gives us all the signs, but we feel maybe just right here, just by the edge and I’ll be safe.  We think we are listening but we want to take it to our limit.

We see the beauty in the scene around us.  We see the immediate pleasure.  We get what the world is telling us is right and okay. We keep testing the edge of the limits. Everything seems to be going just fine but then sometimes it takes Him snatching us up in His tide and twirling us around a few times before we really get His picture.  It may take sitting back from the edge to see what is really going on.

This beauty doesn’t look so dangerous but underneath the surface trouble is lurking. Sometimes we try to do things in our own way and in our time.

God knows the plans he has for us. He knows the best path for us. The question is, are we willing to take it? Are we willing to follow Him all the time, to walk with Him daily? 

I have tried my own ways so many times in my life. Fortunately, my God did not let go of me.  He stayed right beside me even when I was on my own path. James, which is an amazing book that gives great advice on the daily walk with God, says in chapter 1 verses 5-8

5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.  6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything for the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all His ways.

I was seeing all the signs of my wayward ways, I was walking around like a “Christian” person yet living on my own path. Watching my God walk beside me, yet completely ignoring Him.  I literally thought; if I don’t look over my shoulder, I won’t have to look Him in the face. I can keep going on my path and still be a “good” person. I was being a double-minded person. James tells us here for that person can not suppose they will receive anything from the Lord.

But the lie of “satisfaction on our own path” is straight from devil’s mouth.  It is a lie. A real life walking with Christ requires work on our part.  A commitment to make Him the priority. We can continue to be tossed in the waves of life or we can surrender to His rescue.  He is standing there; holding His hand out and waiting to pull us out of the water.

What are we going to do? Are we going to let Him rescue us and walk with Him or are we going to continue to sit on the edge of the water waiting to get sucked in? Are we going to be the double-minded person walking in faith and then doubting all He tells us?

I have been blessed in so many ways and now I desire nothing more than Walking with God in my every day. I am seeking to walk in His wisdom because only there am I receiving ALL His blessings that He is waiting to pour out on to me.

Join me on this journey. We can walk together to further our pursuit in Seeking God In All We Do.

Have a great day and BEWARE OF THE SURF!