Growing up, I spent a lot of time around the ocean. I was born and raised on Chincoteague, VA, a small island just south of the Maryland line, on the Eastern Shore of VA. There I learned many of the basics of water safety, how to handle a boat, and probably the most important information of all, how to negotiate a big wave! When I was a freshman in high school my parents moved us to South Florida, again near the beach. There I learned and honed my skill of avoiding being thrown about like a beach ball by the powerful force of the ocean.
"The Key?" you ask... well that is a great question, and I am glad you brought it up, because I am very anxious to tell you. For some this key will be very intuitive, for others it will be life changing. But before I tell you this key, I need you to understand it is very, very powerful. This key, which I am going to share with you in just a moment, holds power, not just in the ocean, but in life. OK, here goes, the key is... very important, don't forget it. This powerful, important, life changing key is... Don't Resist It!
WOW, were you waiting for something a little more theological, more King James Versionish maybe? Sorry, that's it, no deep hermeneutical argument, just stop resisting. You see, in the ocean, when a wave comes at you and you stand firm, square off at this powerful force of the ocean, it will win, every time. It will knock you down, throw you about and get sand in your shorts. BUT, if you will turn your body sideways 90 degrees, and give yourself a little hop, you will cut through and rise above the wave that once knocked you down.
The same is true in life, you can choose to either rise or resist. To rise you need to lean in, become more agile, and give yourself a little hop. To resist will cause you to be thrown down by life every time, because, as the BORG say in Star Trek, "Resistance is Futile".
There is an old saying that preachers and leaders like to make to motivate people, "When the water rises, all the boats float". Oh how I wish that were true. The problem is, I have found that with boats, as with people, there are two things that keep that from happening.
Number 1 - They are tied too tightly to the dock. I found out at a young age in VA that you have to leave slack in the line when you tie up a boat or the tide will damage it as it rises and falls. When it drops, the boat can have the cleats pulled too tightly and can rip them off, or cause the boat's side to be damaged by the dock. When the tide comes back in, because it always does, if you are tied too tightly, it will drag the boat under.
Some people need to let go of the dock. If you are holding too tightly to the past, the traditions, the pain, the hurt, or maybe even the successes, it may be time to let out some rope. I am not saying to let go all together, because then you will just float away. I am saying don't hold those things so tightly to your chest. Leave a little room for the tides to rise and fall.
Number 2 - They have holes in their boats. If you ever get to Saint Lucie County, Florida, drive down Indian River Drive. It is a breathtaking view of the Indian River, the barrier islands, and the Atlantic Ocean just beyond. But it is also littered with the shells of old boats. Boats that failed to give enough rope to rise with the tide, and boats that, for whatever reason, leaked. When the water came back in, instead of the boat rising, it filled up.
Maybe the reason you have been resisting change is because the last time change came you were damaged, and you had a breach in your hull. I want to challenge you to take some time, hit the dry dock. Put your life on hold for a season, and patch the holes. I know, that means you will have to actually deal with some issues that you have been burying, but it will also mean you can finally begin to rise on top of the waves instead of constantly being beaten by them. So call the Pastor, get some counseling, confront the pain, overcome the fear, ask for forgiveness, accept Christ as your Savior and follow Him, whatever the hole is in your life, take some time to repair it...NOW! Because one thing I do know, the tide is getting ready to come back in again, and you can either rise to the top and see sights you have never been able to see while sitting on the ocean floor, or you can continue to resist and allow the waves of life to keep beating you further down.
So, will you rise or will you resist? Will you let go of some of the rope holding you to the past? Will you take the time necessary to repair your leaks, your marriage, your relationship with your kids, your relationship with Jesus? Or will you continue to live in denial and keep doing it your own way?
In the words of Joshua, "Choose you this day who you will serve, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord". The choice if all yours, the ball's in your court, and the tide is on its way back in... rise above it today!
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