Navigating The Rough Waters of Life

Sitting here watching the waves in Costa Rica, not just any waves… waves that are larger than any I have ever seen. They are intimidating. They are overwhelming AND they are beautiful. They just draw you in. Occasionally, I see a surfer in the distance take on a wave that they have carefully chosen. Looks like so much fun that I actually want to go out there and surf them… even though I have never surfed a day in my life. Man, they make it look easy! But I stand there scared, frozen in awe from the immense waves. We are drawn to the ocean because its power reflects that of God’s. Only God can conquer the raging seas. Psalm 93:4 says, “But the mightier than the violent raging of seas, mightier than the breaker on the shore — the Lord above is mightier than these.” It is so comforting to me to know that our God is stronger than one of the most powerful things imaginable. The ocean can be a scary, dark place when you think about what it is capable of, or even the creatures that live within it. But I feel like this verse pretty much sums it up- He can conquer it ALL!

As the waves crash over, I am reminded also what God’s grace feels like. “I hear the tumult of the raging seas as your waves and surging tides sweep over me.” Psalm 42:7. God’s grace and mercy sweep over us just like a wave acts. It serves to remind us of the one who made everything. We rented a house near the beach and had some pretty cool neighbors (Pura Vida!). One of the neighbors recommended that we download an app, called Magic Seaweed on our phones to show us the tides and how to know when a good time to go in the water would be. The app was cool- it showed us hour by hour what the tides would be, high and low. Rip tides are especially bad in this area of the Pacific Coast and many people have lost their lives not being able to swim in the rough currents. It’s not for inexperienced swimmers for sure. The waves are so powerful that even in knee deep water you can be knocked down (ask my kids).

Wouldn’t it be great if there was an app that would just tell us when to go all in or when to stay back in safety. If only we could gauge the storm or raging waters and knew how to navigate them. Good news! We are given the Wor, the Bible. Yes, there is an app for it too but I’m not talking about the bible app – but we do have a gauge- it’s called listening to God and hearing what he is speaking into our lives. Truly listening and discerning takes intention and then understanding how to use what He is saying.

For now, I will stay planted on the beach and listen to all the sounds that He created in hopes that I too will be able to hear God more clearly the next time. The really good news is that I don’t need to worry about a phone or an app; I can just be present with Him every hour, every moment, of every day!