Written By: Emily Benedetto | Maui Island Coordinator
Photo By: Ivy Scott

One time, I was out longboarding at my local break, and as I kicked out of my wave, a guy close by just looked at me and said, “I like your style!” I kid you not, I had the biggest smile on my face when I said thanks, and I still think about it to this day. Such a small comment of encouragement from him brought me so much joy as I paddled back out for more waves. I was thinking about this the other day. If our mission at Christian Surfers is for every surfer and surf community to hear the gospel and experience the love of Jesus, could something as simple as sharing words of encouragement help us achieve this goal? 

In 1 Thessalonians 5:11, it says, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”

And in Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.”

It’s something I am going to start challenging myself to do in the water. Share simple words of encouragement to strangers or other surfers that I’ve seen around but just haven’t had a chance to talk to. Of course, encouraging each other in life is important, but what if these simple words of encouragement shift something in their hearts as they surf, and it opens up the opportunity to get to know them more? Sometimes, we may not feel bold enough to share the gospel in the lineup with another surfer, but sharing encouragement can be the first step in growing towards that end goal. 

I encourage you that if you find yourself quietly sitting in the lineup, look around and find a surfer that you can encourage. Whether it’s their style, a sick wave they caught, or a really nice surfboard, share a positive exchange with them, and maybe it won’t end in a deep conversation that day, but just maybe it will start planting seeds in their hearts and bring joy to their life! 

“The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life; a wise person wins friends.” (Proverbs‬ ‭11‬:‭30‬ ‭NLT‬‬)