Waves

Reflections by the Sea © Betsy Ore Glass
November 06, 2008

I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. -Psalm 63:4 NIV

When I was a kid, I enjoyed going into the ocean and jumping up over the waves with my sisters. It sounds easier than it was though! We would turn sideways and throw our arms up over our heads for the least resistance and jump as high up as we could without the waves knocking us down. Sometimes we were successful and other times not. When we did get knocked under, we all agreed it felt as though we were in the spin cycle of a washing machine, not knowing the top from the bottom! When my own children came along, they liked riding the waves. They called it bodysurfing. They were good at it too and managed not to skin themselves up too much. My son liked riding his boogie board and mastered that quite well. Lots of tumbles but in the end it was fun. We always knew we were no match for the mighty power of the ocean waves, but when we did ride the waves in harmony, it was an exhilarating and powerful experience.

Life simply happens and we are not in control of it. When things occur that knock us off balance, we can tumble beneath the surface and get tossed around until we find the strength to stand up. Life can appear to be unfair at times, especially when bad things are hurled at us like rhymythic waves…one after the other. We have a choice when this happens. No matter what we see and hear, our faith should be in God to take us up and over the situation. He is there for everyone. He knows our needs and desires. He knows what we lack and what we hope for. We can’t experience and see God’s light if we are buried under our problems. Rather, we should seek God in all things and lift up our hands in faith, so that He can reach down for us and take us up and over troubled water.