Riding the Wave

(Photo credit: Leah Turner riding waves in Kauai by Nick and Valerie Turner)

Riding the Wave

I have been surfing and/or in some body of water ever since I came into this world. Having been born the daughter of a Naval fighter pilot father stationed on ships and aircraft carriers, I always lived by an ocean and was always in or on the water in some way, shape, or form. It is simply in my blood and in my family’s DNA. Both of my older brothers were amazingly good surfers. I still to this day never travel without a bathing suit because you just never know when the next body of water might present itself.

Marrying a youth pastor/worship leader husband and settling in Washington, DC didn’t lend itself to many opportunities for me to surf so I have largely forgotten the sensation and rhythm of catching and riding a big wave. It takes a lot of patience in the waiting for just the right crest, swell, and timing. Once just the right wave arrives, it requires a lot of prior conditioning, discipline, strength, and fortitude to ride the wave successfully - and for any length of time.

Recently as I’ve wrestled and been violently tossed around by the huge waves that overtook me in “my awakening” I struggled with what to do with my “angst”. What do I do with the shattering ache and deep desire to help stop the evils that I see with an alarmingly increased frequency around our world? As I’ve finally landed in a place of a strong sense of clarity and peace as well as an unflinching settledness, I’ve found myself feeling all the same “feels” that I did when I was out surfing in my younger years. I’m finding a similarity between the process of catching and riding an ocean wave on a surfboard and the journey of waiting, watching, and riding the next movement of the Ru’ach Hokadesh in my life and in world events as the Bible literally leaps to life and off the pages all around us right now. 

Too often I want to rush and do something right away on behalf of the millions upon millions of victims that I see being horrifyingly harmed and abused in this staggering war. And yet I often see no “on ramp” for even first steps of what to do outside of pray, write, and wait. Knowing what I now know, I trust no one except God and His Word (Romans 3:4) so I don't want to move until I know it's Him calling me. And as we all know, our glorious God is not some vending machine or ATM that we can run to and simply withdraw whatever we think we need. He will undoubtedly supply all our needs but it's all in His way and timing. Not ours. We simply have no other choice but to wait for His lead, His equipping, His provision, His timing, and His perfect and pleasing will to play out while we trust. My job in the interim is to prepare myself as best I am able to be ready to jump up and ride the next wave of the Holy Spirit with as much excellence in preparation as I’m able. And then hold on and enjoy the exhilarating ride! 

As things get either darker or lighter for every person (there’s very little room for middle ground anymore these days) depending on one's perspective, some are incredibly excited as the Bible literally plays out in breathtaking fashion all around us, reassured that our brilliant Creator not only completely knows what He’s doing, but also told us with stunning specificity in His Word what it would look like. Others are getting closer and closer to curling up into a fetal position and starting to mourn, wail, and curse the encroaching darkness that’s coming with increased frequency and intensity - and, according to Scripture, it is only going to get insanely worse here very, very soon. We have been fully warned and prepared in Scripture.

Most people that know me know where I land. I truly believe I was made and destined for just such a time as this so I’m insanely excited to be alive, awake and engaged - if not seriously looking forward to the rapture here very soon. I'm also praying to be found worthy to escape all the things that are coming upon the earth here very soon as we’re told to do in Luke 21:36. My lamp is filled with oil and I’m watching and waiting. See Matthew 25. 

If I’m somehow off in all my eschatological views and we aren’t raptured out of here before all literal hell breaks loose, I know beyond any shadow of a doubt that I will be okay and protected as one of His own and will be here to help continue to rescue as many precious souls as I'm able until His glorious reappearing!

See Psalm 91.