Crafted In His Image

For as long as I can remember, I have loved surfing. Even as a kid I remember paddling out with my dad and brother and thinking to myself, there is no feeling on earth like catching a wave. The anticipation leading up to every surf session never goes away. All these years later, I still get the same giddy feeling before paddling out. 

All the early mornings, long drives, and hard work to get out to the lineup is always worth it. Even on a bad day with poor conditions I still remain in awe of how much of a blessing it is to be in the water. 

In between sets, I like to try and remind myself about how much of a privilege it is to enjoy God‘s creation in such a unique way. As surfers, we are deeply and intimately connected with God’s creation. We have a tendency to favor the beauty in nature above most things in our lives.

John 1:3 states that God is the creator of all things and that nothing was made without Him.

“From the very beginning the Word was with God. And with this Word, God created all things. Nothing was made without the Word.” (John 1:2-3, CEV)

I like to often reflect on this passage when I’m waiting for the next wave to come in. It’s crazy to think about how every wave that you ride is designed by the creator of the universe. In that moment you are the only person to enjoy it. As cool as that is it still gets better.

Genesis 1:26-27 shows us that we are intricately made in God’s image.

“God said, “Now we will make humans, and they will be like us. We will let them rule the fish, the birds, and all other living creatures.” So God created humans to be like himself; he made men and women.”

(Genesis 1:26-27, CEV)

I love taking those two passages of Scripture and reading them back to back because it makes me wonder what God’s smile is like when we enjoy His creation and praise Him for it. 

When we surf there is this beautiful intersection between different forms of His work. The key difference in everything that God made is that we are the only thing crafted in His image. We have his fingerprints all over us even down to the way we look. You and I are God’s most prized creation.

Image by: Reed Burr