Rooted

It’s been a while since I’ve been in the water to surf. I threw out my back a few months ago and you know how that all goes. I have been spending my mornings taking walks and watching the swells grow larger every day. It is clear that the winter surf season has kicked off here on the North Shore of Oahu.

On one of my walks, I came across a grouping of trees that met the beach and I could see that something was different about these trees. The trees were tall and solid. I became more puzzled as I followed the tree trunks to the ground to find that the base of these trees wasn’t planted firmly in the ground like most trees. Instead, these trees were attached and solidly adhered to the ground by their ROOTS. It seems that the waves over the years have washed away the ground at the base of these trees. The tree’s roots were so deep that they sustained life and were so solid. I walked over to the trees and shook them to see if they were in fact firmly planted and to my suprise they were unshakable.

I am learning more and more that staying connected to the source of life is so important for us as Christian Surfers. Surfing is a good tool to use to reach our tribe for Jesus but what happens when you can’t surf? Do we just stop being a surfer? Can you still share Jesus with other surfers who desperately need Him while you are nursing an injury? If surfing isn’t just a tool and you identity and not by Jesus, then something is out of balance.

I have wrestled through these thoughts these past months and have reached this conclusion based on these verses. Psalms 127:1 says, “Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain (ESV).” I was also impacted by John 15:4-5 “Stay joined to me and I will stay joined to you.” No branch can produce fruit alone. It must stay connected to the vine. It is the same with you. Keep yourself connected to the source of life and Jesus will guide you through those times. You don’t just stop being a surfer, just like you don’t just stop being a Christian.