The intrigue of running surfers…

Let me start by saying that I’m not going to make the bold promise of “blogging more regularly” ever again… I’ve realised my last blog was in April last year…oops!!  Admittedly rather than blogging I ended up writing messages that I had the privilege of preaching in various places, I probably should’ve turned those messages into blogs!

Moving right along into 2015… Happy new year to you!

Something that has always intrigued me is surfers and the way they are always running!  Have you noticed it?  Now that I’ve mentioned it you’ll probably see it all the time…unless you live on a mountain…or in the middle not on the edge…  But over here on the beaches in Australia, surfers are always running!  They run along the road with their board in their arms toward their beloved surf, they run along the beach ready to jump on in, they run into the ocean and jump on their board, they probably run home too!

If you are a surfer, maybe you can enlighten me on why surfers are always running?  I’ve come up with a few theories… In the summer the ground/sand is so hot on your bare feet so you are running to get to the water…? In the winter it’s so flipping cold that you are running to get your blood moving and convince yourself that you are warm enough to jump in that freezing water…? It’s a little warm up before a big paddle out…? You need to be in the water by 7 and it’s currently 6:54…? You’ve heard the waves are good and are convinced you’re going to miss out…? You are just so darn excited to get in the water that you run the whole way there…?!

I don’t know what the real reason is, but there is certainly some extreme enthusiasm and embracing of a love and passion for the surf going on!

I think we can probably all learn a thing or two from these running surfers, the way that they run into all that awaits them in that surf in EVERY season is surely something that we can embrace in our lives.

In our current climate, with all that has been taking place recently all over the world; wars, terror, fires, natural disasters, sieges and more, it would be (and is) far too easy to let our response be fear.  To choose to fix our minds on negativity and worry, to lock ourselves away in our quiet little lives and even try to pretend that none of it is happening.  But it is.  However, I want to encourage you to be more like a surfer this year!  I don’t want you to look at the winter season of your life or the events taking place all over the world and to turn away, stand stationery or hide in fear.  I want to implore you, like those surfers, to run into life and all that every day contains for you, to turn to faith, to believe that love wins and to be that person who loves others extravagantly even when they don’t deserve it.

Surfers are passionate about the surf…to the point where it gets dangerous out there if you take their wave!  Let’s be passionate about our lives, let’s fiercely protect each day from the enemy who tries to steal it (not flesh and blood remember – it’s a spiritual battle!), let’s choose to make the most of every day regardless of what that day looks like, just do your best and if you make a mess of it, remember that the sun sets on all that’s happened today and rises again tomorrow with fresh opportunities because His mercies are new everyday!

We are living in urgent times, there are countless people in your world, your family, your neighbourhood, your community who need to know that there is hope and that someone cares!  We need to grab our ‘board’ – aka whatever is in your hands (can you cook, babysit, shout a coffee, pay for someone’s groceries, carry someone’s bags, give someone a lift, give a hug or a smile, say hello to a stranger, tell someone about the love of Jesus…) and RUN into whatever waves each day brings!

Oh and don’t ‘get me on a technicality’ and be one of those surfers who checks the waves, sees that there’s nothing and stays home that day… Get out there regardless of what each day looks like, give it your best, throw every ounce of enthusiasm that you’ve got into every day and watch as 2015 becomes your best year yet!

You get to choose what your life looks like.  Not what happens to you, but how you respond to what takes place.  So, what are you waiting for?  Plenty of surf out there…time to run!!

Jodes. x