As a kid, water-skiing was my favorite sport. There was something in the thrill of gliding over the water, jumping over the wake, taking the gentle waves in my knees…
Just the thought makes me want to go out water-skiing…
One memory that has never left me is the memory of being in the water, crouched around my ski with the ski tip between the two rope handles as I waited for the boat to take off and lift me up out of the water. Usually we wouldn’t ski if the water was too rough; however, most lakes in the busy southern California region where I grew up were busy, and even on calm days, the waters were troubled with the rolling waves created by the wakes of other boats. Each of these waves would rock me from side to side and fill my eyes with spray.
As I think back, I am reminded of how I still, to this day, don’t like water in my eyes. Nonetheless, that spray didn’t faze me in the least when I was connected via rope to the back of that ski boat. I recall simply blinking the water away in excited anticipation of the roar of the motor and the surge of power that would draw me out of the water. No, there was no way I would let anything pull my eyes away from that boat…
Funny how my desire to keep my eyes on that boat made such a difference…
As I go through the various trials that I am deemed to traverse at this stage in my life, it occurs to me how much each wave of trouble seems just like a wave of water washing over me, spraying into my eyes, stinging, blurring my vision…I try, with some success, to keep my eyes on Jesus, but with each new wave of trouble, it can be harder to see Him. After all, who can see anything with stinging eyes and blurred vision?
I have to admit that the majority of the time I “close my eyes” against the “burning” and “blurred vision” caused by the waves of trouble in life. And when I do manage to open them, all I see is the water in my eyes–or perhaps the next wave of trouble bearing down upon me…
But wait. Just like I was connected to the ski boat via the rope, am I not connected to Jesus? And just like I knew that the ski boat would soon lift me out of the water, don’t I also have the assurance that God will draw me out of my problems, causing me to glide over the top of the waves of trouble? “He is the God who pays back those who harm me; he subdues the nations under me and rescues me from my enemies. You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies; you save me from violent opponents.” (Ps. 18:47,48 NLT)
Hum. In the moments (hours…days…weeks…months…years…) of testing, perhaps I would do well to remember the time in the water waiting for the ski boat to lift off. Perhaps I need to just blink the trouble from my eyes, ever keeping them fixed on Jesus, the Author and the Finisher of my faith (SeeHeb. 12:2) in joyful anticipation of the moment that He will pull me up out of the water and cause me to glide over the waves of trouble. Perhaps I should put my attention on gripping the “rope”, the “anchor” as it were, my hope that extends into the inner sanctuary, behind the veil, where Jesus is interceding on my behalf (SeeHeb. 6:18b-20)!
It’s true that while in the water, the rope was often slack in my hands and didn’t seem to be doing anything. Interestingly, the thought would never have occurred to me to let go. If I did, I would never be brought up out of the water! In the same way, sometimes it feels like that “anchor” isn’t grounded on anything. It is easy to become discouraged and to consider dropping that hold on Jesus. It doesn’t matter, however, how slack the rope to our anchor of hope may be. It doesn’t matter that it doesn’t seem to be doing anything. If we let go, we will never be drawn up out of the waters and waves of troubles!
There is always that waiting phase while we wait for God to come through. During that waiting time, don’t let go of the rope, your hope. Instead, keep your eyes on the “boat”, Jesus Christ, and when the next wave of trouble washes over you, just blink your eyes to get the water out, ever knowing that He will soon “roar” into life and pull you out so that you can glide over the top of the waves of circumstance!
In His love,
Lyn
Lynona Gordon Chaffart, Speech-Language Pathologist, mother of two, Author — “Aboard God’s Train — A Journey With God Through the Valley of Cancer”, Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, andScriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, withAnswers2Prayer Ministries. Follow Lyn on Twitter @lynchaffart.