Waves

I wanted to share with you the little moment God and I had on the lake this past weekend. I loved it...partly because I just loved hearing from Him at all...but I also loved it because it meant something so important to my heart.

Ronda and I both love to just sit on water. (Preferably from the safety of a boat.) Since we were the only two at the lake (in our party, of course), we were in charge of our schedule and we had the freedom to take the boat to a quiet cove, drop anchor, and sit without any guilt of being gone too long.

I kicked back in my seat, propped my feet up, and leaned my head against the window behind me. With my eyes closed, I just daydreamed for a while, soaking in the sun and the beauty of the quiet lake. I heard boats buzzing around in the background, but I was totally engrossed in my thoughts.
Then the boat began to rock a bit...then more and more...tilting quickly from one side to the other. I grabbed the side of it and sat up. I could see a series of waves rolling deeply toward us. I looked around in confusion, but whatever sped by to make those waves was now far from us. Completely out of sight in some other part of the lake.

I clutched the side of the boat until the water calmed again, then I settled back in my seat to enjoy the sunshine. But this time I kept my eyes open. If something came through again, I wanted to know ahead of time.

As I stared absently around me, God began to speak.

It's like your life. Like last year. You just sat quietly, minding your own business, enjoying life, drinking it in, and trials came speeding through.

And just as quickly as they sped in...they sped out and away...and all that was left was a series of waves that rocked you...sometimes so hard that you had to sit up and grab on to stay steady. And sometimes while you were doing that, you looked around wondering where the source went...but you saw nothing...except the handful of waves still on their way to toss you.



People do that. They come in and out and don't think about the unrest they create. And like it or not, sometimes you do the same thing to others. You should think about it...about how your presence in other people's lives has the capacity to stir them up in ways that can leave lasting effects long after you've gone.
All afternoon I pondered that as boats and jetskis went roaring by...sometimes sending water pelting against the side of our boat until water rained down over us.

It was a good lesson. It was good to be reminded that the hurt that still pricks at my heart from many months ago doesn't mean I'm a failure at healing. It just means the waves might still be crashing up against me.


And it was good to be reminded that I have the capability to do that, too. I don't want to be the one who causes those kinds of waves in others' lives, though I know I've done it.


A great lesson...thanks, God!