Navigating the Waves
By Lexi Cole Ellis
“The salvation of the righteous is
from the LORD; He is their stronghold in time of trouble.”
I had a childhood friend who was terrified of waves…ocean waves
and the wave pool at the water resort. I couldn’t fathom it…to my fifth-grade
mind, jumping over a wave as it simultaneously slid over and pushed you up was
the absolute best. But for her, a scary experience of getting caught under a
wave as a small child resulted in a deep fear of jumping over it at the exactly
right time and an inability to enjoy the waves at all.
Sometimes waves come crashing over
us unexpectedly. Sometimes, despite all the careful navigating we do, a
situation hits and the waves we were easily coasting over now have become
scary. All of a sudden, we are out of sync with our jumps and the water is
billowing over us as panic and a sense of losing control takes over. A job
loss…a conflict with a loved one…a health scare…the fear of an unknown
outcome…the waves of unknown and fear start to drown us. I love what Mark Hall and Steven
Curtis Chapman write in the song, “Voice of Truth”: [1]
But the waves are calling out my name and they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
Time and time again, "Boy, you'll never win!"
"You'll never win…" [2]
Thankfully, the story doesn’t have to end there. Thankfully, we
serve a God who rescues us in His perfect timing from the actual waves AND
additionally saves us from being paralyzed by the fear of waves. We don’t have
to navigate through the waves on our own. As believers, we’ve been given His
Spirit and His Word that remind us of the countless times God has been faithful
in and through the storms. Additionally, we have community with other believers
in God’s Church, a community which supports us through the waves and reminds us
to cling to our God, actively pursuing a relationship with Him.
Years ago, my friend missed out on
the wave pool because of her fear of the waves. May we be people who depend on
God…so that when the waves come, rather than being paralyzed by fear and
unknown, we navigate through them with the help of His Spirit, His Word and His
community of believers.
GOING DEEPER:
1. What do you need to do to depend on Christ to help you
navigate the waves in your life?
2. Consider listening to the rest of the song, “Voice of Truth”
as you start your day. (http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=DGGPNNNX)
FURTHER READING:
Lexi and her
husband, Andrew, have an adorable dog named Calvin. Lexi teaches sixth grade
Reading and Writing. She serves with Children’s Ministries and is the Fresh
Start Coordinator.
