This week I had one of the best days of surfing in my life! It was awesome! The waves were perfect, there wasn’t a crowd yet, and the “vibe” in the water was super chill and fun. People were hooting and hollering for each other’s rides, yipping at the grandeur of the waves, and one guy even prayed out loud thanking Father God for the opportunity to share it all with everyone. It was really quite a spiritual experience.
I relived those waves in my mind throughout the entire work day, relishing in the joy and wonder of it all, wishing I could stay in those memories forever. And even as I laid my head on my pillow that night, I rode one more sweet swell into a blissful dream thinking, “What a great day that was!”
Then the next day came.
It was a busier day. I had appointments throughout the morning so I couldn’t surf until a midday lunch break. So after my last task I stopped and checked the waves on the way home. It was packed with surfers. Bummers. And the wind was up a little more. More bummers. Though the waves still looked pretty good (very similar to the previous day) something inside of me was discouraging me from wanting to go — it was like I was looking for excuses to not go surf. But why? That’s weird, I thought. Why am I not jumping at the chance to repeat the day before?
I dawdled around a bit, stalling and wondering why I was so conflicted inside, especially considering the previous day’s exuberance. I wanted to go surf, yet I didn’t. Finally my heart relinquished its deep secret — I was afraid. Afraid? Yep. I was afraid it wouldn’t be as good as the day before and if I went out today I’d be disappointed. Inwardly I figured it was better to stop where I was and enjoy the past experience rather than move forward and experience something new. Ouch. Here comes a lesson from Papa God.
So many times I look back at the good old days when “God did this,” and “God did that,” and “Oh, it was so wonderful back then!” — commemorating the past. Yes, He’s done some absolutely marvelous things indeed over the years! And not just in my life — I’m sure you have some great testimonies too. But we can’t live in the past. We can learn from it, savor it, remember it, and let it inspire and encourage us, but the reality is, it’s over. He’s doing a new thing today. Let’s not revel in the miracles that God did but in the miracles He’s going to do!
My fear was keeping me stuck on yesterday and hindering me from moving forward. And I was making excuses in order to hide that fear because I wasn’t letting go of the past and trusting Him for the future. I needed faith for today.
Heb. 3:15 — “Today, if you will hear His voice…”
Today. Not yesterday, last week, or last year. This present moment. Today.
Today is not going to be like yesterday. It isn’t. I have to keep moving forward — ever learning, ever growing, ever trusting, ever believing.
Okay. That’s it, my friend. I’m going out to surf now. Let’s see what God has for me today.
(By Cyndi)