Renewal Through Repair

Recently, I was repairing one of my boards that I love to ride. In fact, to this day it is my favorite board that I have ever owned. I have such a love for this board because of the countless, incredible rides I have caught on it. The only major downside to this board is, well… It’s a beater. It wasn’t always like that. The slightest bit of de-lamination here and there went unchecked. A minor crack in the nose was un repaired. And a few pressure dings eventually opened – which all lead to its current state. 

I started by assessing every spot that needed attention, one repair at a time. Countless hours went into filling holes, patching cracks and sanding. With all the repairs combined, I had about 3 or 4 days into it when it was all said and done. I was so pumped to ride it again. To me, it was perfect even though it looked worse than it did before all the repairs.

I was reminded of the passage in James which talks about looking into a mirror and then forgetting what you look like right after. In a way that is how my favorite board ended up the ugliest one in the quiver. For so long I had gotten used to looking at the board and forgotten what spots needed repairs. I became so comfortable with leaving the damage alone because there was so much of it, I didn’t see how bad it had become.

James 1:22-25 says, “Obey God’s message! Don’t fool yourselves by just listening to it. If you hear the message and don’t obey it, you are like people who stare at themselves in a mirror and forget what they look like as soon as they leave. But you must never stop looking at the perfect law that sets you free. God will bless you in everything you do, if you listen and obey, and don’t just hear and forget.”

The key phrase that I take away from this verse is “If” you listen and obey. This should motivate us to listen and obey the word of God. We should take the repairs we need to God so He can work on our lives. His blessings for each of us are beyond our best dreams “If” we listen and obey. Lean in and let go a little more. Don’t do what I did and get comfortable with damage that is fixable.

Photographer: Priscilla Burr