God Is In Control

A few weeks back, the waves were firing at Jennette’s Pier in the OBX. In true East Coast fashion, the paddle out was grueling. Most people took a very heavy beating on their paddle out. The waves were all time and pumping. Overhead, barrels and long lines littered up and down the beach. Waves were out there to be had; if you could make it out. Unfortunately, I am out of the water for a few months. So I had the unique opportunity to sit on the beach and actually watch my friends surf. 

On this particular day, there was only one way to get to the outside (without getting absolutely drilled on the paddle out). There was a channel, next to the pier, working like a conveyor belt. Every so often a set would occasionally break in the channel but they were few and far between. Because I was watching it all unfold, I told as many people as I could about the channel. Some wouldn’t listen, because the channel went straight to the main peak. Fear kept them out. So I watched some people take the rip and others get clobbered. 

One person in particular, I was not close enough to tell him to take the rip out and he was a very new surfer. Not the day for him to be paddling out on a foamie. I sent a prayer for his protection, because I was nervous for his safety. But even with my prayer, I had doubts he would get through this surf session uninjured. To my surprise, God calmed the seas before my very eyes. I was astonished. Then God pulled the novice surfer down the beach to the conveyor belt rip and sent him to the outside. Every hair on this kid’s head was dry, he had paddled maybe twice. I continued to watch in utter disbelief and the next thing I knew, God sent him down the beach, out of the main peak, where he would have been lip launched. This novice surfer sat on his board for a while and finally a perfect peeling wave came out of nowhere and he caught it. Rode it all the way to the sand, where he ended his surf session. 

God spoke to me in that experience. “You are not in control” and He gave me physical evidence of His power. It’s not our abilities, our knowledge or even our strength but God’s, that gets us through life. Psalm 73:26 “My flesh and my heart may fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion Forever.” Psalm 107:29 “He calms the storm, so that the waves are still.”

Image: Leason Dancaescu