“Just watch for the crest of the wave behind you. As soon as you begin to feel the pressure of the wave, jump up to let the wave pass. It’s important you don’t just stand there,” my missionary friend said, as we sloshed our bare feet out into the Caribbean Sea. “The wave will knock you over, if you don’t jump.”
Wanita tried to help me understand what to do, so I could enjoy our day at the beach as much as she did, but I had a hard time getting the hang of jumping waves. I spit out a lot of salty water that morning.
After a time of digesting the delicious picnic, I left my colleagues in the shade of the palm tree and headed back to the water.
When I reached the sand about ten yards from the shoreline, I stretched out my mat; dropped my beach towel displaying a huge, colorful butterfly; and slipped off my flip-flops. “Yeow!” The beastly hot afternoon sun had turned the grains of sand into tiny firebrands.
Yeowing all the way, I sprinted into the water.
Once the water had soothed the burning soles of my feet, I waded back to the morning’s position in search of a wave. Seeing one about a football field’s distance behind me, I quickly reviewed Wanita’s instructions.
The thing is, I never understood the “why” of her insistence that I not stand my ground to just wait for another wave, if I didn’t feel like jumping. It seemed to me that I could just wait for the next one. You know, like missing the 9:02 AM subway and waiting for the 9:12? What if I wasn’t ready for this wave that had begun its journey to the shore? Couldn’t I just leave it?
I turned to face the shore, anticipating the pressure of the oncoming wave behind me. Every few seconds I glanced over my shoulder to assess the huge wave’s progress. Hmmm? The closer it came, the bigger it looked. Should I just let this whopper of a wave go this time?
I considered the consequences of ignoring the veteran missionary’s instruction. Before I figured out the repercussions, the wave hit me full-force. Salty water poured into my mouth. I’d been unable to recover from the gasp in time.
Thoughts of regret mingled with a strange sensation of calm. I held the water in my mouth, knowing that to swallow it would mean vomiting it back up. The underwater voyage to the shore seemed to take forever. I desperately needed to breathe.
Finally, I could wait no longer. I breathed in through my nose. Feeling the sting of the salt water, I had only one thought. Okay, now, I’m drowning. I waited to see what it felt like to die.
I took a couple more breaths and waited for death. The underwater world held an eerie silence. I remember being puzzled that I didn’t even feel like fighting it. Shouldn’t I be thrashing around, trying to get to the surface?
Immediately after that thought, the powerful wave gave a last mighty heave and thrust my limp form across the rough sand of the beach.
I felt the abrasive sand cross my face. Stunned, I tried to bring my knees up under me; but before I got a grip in the sand, the push of the follow-up wave shoved me higher, flattening me again.
Hearing Wanita’s approach, I turned and spit out the water I’d been holding. “I didn’t drown,” I said as she grabbed my arm to help me up. “Guess you’re right; I can’t just stand there.”
Yesterday morning, the above experience flooded into my thoughts in answer to my growing anxiety. As I contemplated all the technological stuff I still had to learn to meet my new goals, I told the Lord that it felt like I’d just been hit by a gigantic wave.
The memory of this day let me know that the Lord didn’t intend to let me drown now, anymore than He did that summer’s day in 1980. In addition, my anxiety would be eased if I learned from that lesson. Trust in those who have gone before me in this journey, and do what they say to do. I can learn the “why’s” as I go along; no need to understand it all before jumping the wave.
How about you? Feeling like you’re in over your head when thinking about the goals you’ve set for 2015?
Just take a deep breath; if you will give your goals step-by-step sub-points, you don’t have to learn it all at once.
You can do it! Don’t just stand there; jump that wave!
