Lessons from a surfing chica

Well I've always learned best through analogies and while I was surfing God gave me a great one.

So last summer I went on a cruise. As I was doing my quiet time on the deck, I could see the expanse of water just go on forever and ever...and I saw that as Gods love...How it's so large and deep and wide and it just goes on and on. 

So, being in the waves and the surf yesterday taught me something. First of all is the water beat me up!! So I was like how is this work with my previous thoughts? Gods love is supposed to gentle and light but these waves are strong and powerful. So powerful they can turn rocks into sand.

Yet, Gods love is powerful and when we are hit with it we are never the same. He changes our heart of stone to clay!!! How cool is that that each powerful dose of Gods love is changing our hearts so that we can never be the same:) 

Now for the surfing illustrations.

A couple days ago I learned how to surf and it is so fun but....it will wear you out!!! 

My whole body hurts!! 

Life can be tough sometimes right?

So then I thought of another analogy. If the ocean is Gods love, then Jesus is our surfboard, our salvation. 

Now, when you surf your flat on your board then you paddle until it's time to stand up. This is the tricky part because I mean you are standing on a wave and so it's hard to keep your balance. 

Now, the analogy I was thinking of is the wobbly part when you are learning how to stand. I find this indicative of when we are learning to trust God and trust his love and his salvation. 

When I was first learning I would stand on my knees then try to get up...bad idea. 

Then I learned to stand with my feet but I would keep my hands down until I got my balance to stand up. Yet, in our life how many times do we waste time checking to see if our board, Jesus, is there. We stand on our knees or put our hand down or something. We ask if He is there if His love will catch us when we fall...we ask...we wonder...we worry. 

God doesn't want us checking the board or even looking back being scared of the wave. He just wants us to stand on His salvation and ride His love to the finish.  Yes sometimes we fall but Gods there to help us get back on the board.

Having a trust without borders is learning how to stand, learning how to trust that the board is steady and though life is rocky, Gods love is always there to help us and catch us when we fall!! 

Cuz a life with Jesus is one that will leave us changed by Gods love forever. It will allow us to ride waves. And though a surf board is hard it's much easier than trying to navigate the waves all by ourself. So let's trust in God to get us to shore, and I hope when I get to shore that I will never be the same:)