Consider a wave of the ocean, starts small but grows and grows and grows until finally it breaks. Some waves grow to be huge, others to be even bigger. Waves are intriguing to me because they look simple enough on the surface, but underneath is a world of chaos that can’t be controlled.
I was sitting on top of a big petrified tree trunk that had been lying on the ocean shore for some time. I was thinking and listening. I sat in awe of how beautifully the shore line stretched in both directions, making a crescent shape along the Caribbean coast of Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica. The ocean spray lifted over the trees along the coast creating a mist that reminded me of the Smokey Mountains in Tennessee. It was beautiful and somewhat majestic. The rather dull light coming through the thick of the clouds stretched across the Caribbean as far as I could see. It was raining, but it felt nice.
I sat there and contemplated why my spirit was so moved to be on the beach. For a moment I considered going for a jog down the shore line. I had to find what it was that was tugging on my spirit. Then I considered it unwise to run down the coast line on my own away from my hostel, meaning my teammates. But I was befuddled because I still wanted to go but had a whisper of a warning not to. Then I heard a small and gentle voice say, “Let me take you where you want to go.” A smile etched its way across my face.
I continued to sit there quietly. I saw the waves continue to grow and crash into me as I sat on the old fallen tree trunk lying on the beach. Then God spoke to me in another quiet and gentle voice, “I want you like a wave of the sea.” Like other occasions when I don’t understand quite what God is telling me, I asked, “What does that mean?” At that same time, one of those huge waves crashed into me and nearly put me on my back on the other side of the tree trunk. “Oh..” I thought as I reestablished myself on top of the fallen tree.
In my life Jesus is like a wave. I see him in the distance. Over time, trials, temptations, and celebrations he draws nearer and like a wave, seems simple on the surface and chaotic underneath. The closer he comes the more nervous I feel yet the more I trust him. Letting go is part of the process, and I realize I am letting go of control. Control slips from my grip, and all that’s left is the wave. Sometimes it’s scary. I don’t know what to expect when it hits. A world of uncontrolled chaos and motion sweeps me up and carries me out, yet from a distance I realize I’m free. I’m free to love, rejoice, and be thankful. I’m free of shame, expectation, and restrictions. I’m free to let God use me to influence others, encourage, and be a part of his plan in the lives of those around me. I am not alone, and that gives me comfort. I’d much rather be taken by the wave than spend the rest of my life left at shore.
