Surfing lessons

I think our lives are meant to be an incredible adventure. I have this picture of God peering into the womb, his hands lightly on either side, his mind filled with excitement at all our potential. He has a big grin on his face because he's seen this life for us full of creativity, love, enjoyment and relationship and he's rubbing his hands together with glee because he can't wait to get started on this journey with us! But then as we grow, we doubt. We doubt ourselves, we doubt God and his intentions, we doubt His love and provision. What would this world be like if we were all living the destiny we were designed for?

Have you ever wanted something so badly? Yearned for it so much, but were too afraid to even try? Do we sit on the couch watching t.v., secretly longing for something more but not doing anything about it? Do we say to ourselves "Well, if God wanted me to do that then He would open a door for me."?

Sometimes we have a dream but we expect God to do everything for us and we haven't even prepared at all, we just expect Him to make it happen. Or if he does try to prepare us, we whine and complain and drag our feet and cry. Like in the Karate Kid when Mr Miagi made him wax cars and paint fences and all these other things that had nothing outwardly to do with karate, but were strenthening and toning and preparing the kid for the real work of training. Mr Miagi knew he wasn't ready at first and so he prepared him for what he wanted by a different means than expected.

We sit there sometimes with our desire in our heart praying and saying "God if You will." but we aren't taking a single step towards it. We want a 'sign' first. We want insurance. We want a guarantee that we will meet with success if we put forth any effort. In fact we are not going to put forth one ounce of effort towards the goal until God gives us his word that it will work out and there won't be any bumps in the road. "God you have to promise me that if I go for this then I will meet with the success I imagine, I won't lose anything I don't want to lose along the way, and it's going to be simple and straightforward so I can see a clear, straight path from beginning to end with no turns or obstacles."

Ok God, I'm ready to learn to surf, but I need your guarantee that it will be perfect. I want the water to be the perfect temperature, the weather must be just right, the waves perfect. I want to paddle out with ease and stand up and ride the first wave without a hitch. I want you to promise there won't be any sharks, or jellyfish, or riptides, undercurrents, rocks or anything else that is dangerous. Promise I won't fall and get my hair wet or get any salt water in my eyes.There won't be anyone on the beach looking at me and possibly judging me or making fun of me, except for a camera man that happens along at just the right moment to snap a picture of me at a good angle catching the perfect wave looking glamorous and skinny. So, God, until I get a 'signal' from you that everything will be exactly to my specifications then I'm not even going to go to the beach and look at the waves. I have to know that before I even try, You are going to make everything work out perfectly for me, the way I want and the way I envision.

Then I sit and wonder why my life feels so empty. Why I feel like I'm just plodding along through each day and there doesn't seem to be much meaning. I wonder why God isn't listening and He doesn't answer my prayers. I start to get angry that he gives me these desires in my heart just to taunt me. I forget that I am a co-laborer. That this life is meant to be shared and it's not just a one sided relationship. I forget God's incredible love. And my life and this world suffer because of it.