Surfing Lessons - #4

Camille and I drove all over creation trying to find some decent waves today. It was just one of those days where the swell was junky and wind-chopped and not much was happening at any of the various spots in our area. We sorta knew that we were gonna strike out, but we both have the day off and we weren't in any hurry to do anything else. It may seem crazy to drive back and forth and look at the same ocean from different places all morning just on the off chance that there will be waves to surf somewhere. But for a surfer, that is all a part of the experience. You get a warm feeling inside just thinking about the possibility of waves. There's always that bit of optimism that just around the corner, the swell will be hitting the beach just right and the winds will be just so. Surfing makes the rest of your life so much better, that it's worth striking out once in a while in hopes of catching a few waves.

As I write this, I am preparing to go to the gym. That tells you how much surf we got today...zip! But part of me is satisfied deep down that at least I know that I am not missing any surf. I tried, and I'm glad that I did. That bit of optimism that tomorrow will be better is keeping me from being bummed about today's lack of waves. That's how it is for a surfer. We are at the mercy of nature to provide our stoke. Talk to any surfer, and they will tell you that that is one of the things that makes surfing so special to them. It's never a given...nothing is guaranteed. When you score an awesome session, it is that much better because you know that you were in the right place at the right time and that tomorrow you may not be as fortunate. It gives every session value. It makes every good session spectacular.

As we were driving back from getting skunked, we ended up behind a car with a bunch of very angry bumper stickers. There's liberal, and then there's "I hate everyone who's not a liberal". Whoever was driving this car was obviously the latter. Now, it's not the point of my blog to get political, so that is not where I'm going with this. Because I was checking the surf, I was already in a 'contemplative' mood. As I contemplated some of the bumper stickers on the car ahead of me, I began to feel a sadness for the obviously unhappy, angry person behind the wheel. It donned on me that my feelings about how much better surfing makes our lives are just a shadow, a mere glimpse of how much better knowing God makes our lives. I'm definitely not trying to pass any kind of judgement here, but I think you would agree with me if you read some of the stickers on that car that the person ahead of me probably doesn't know God. At least not in any personal way. I couldn't help but think that if they did, they surely wouldn't be so angry and their life would probably be a lot better.

It got me thinking about the Sadducees. The Sadducees were a Jewish sect of religious scholars and politicians and the rivals of the Pharisees (the Rabbinical Jews of today). They were founded in the second century B.C. and were one of the main political players in Palestine in Jesus' time. The interesting thing about the Sadducees was that they believed in Jehovah, the God of the Old Testament (and your God, if you are a Christian) and served Him just as fervently and in every way as any other Jew would, with one exception. The Sadducees did not believe in an afterlife. No Heaven, no Hell. When you died, it was just lights out. Hope you had a good time. Weird, huh? Why follow God at all if you just blink out of existence when you die? There's no consequences for any of your actions! While that is weird, the Sadducees had a good reason to follow God despite not having hope of a resurrection. You see, they knew that knowing and following God makes your life here on earth so much better, that it is worth doing even if there isn't life after death. They reasoned that God wants to help us live life to the fullest and most fulfilling. For them, you only got one shot at this Life thing, so you would be stupid not to follow God and have the happiest life there is to have.

Now, as a Christian, I know that Jesus was very clear that the Sadducees were wrong about the no afterlife thing. Check out Matthew 22:23-32 to hear exactly what He had to say. If you don't have a Bible, let me know. I'll give you one.

Anyway - the Sadducees were mistaken about a very important truth, but they hit the bullzeye when it came to another. Without God, this life is tough. Period. Heck, life's tough enough if you know Him! But if you do, life sure is a lot better! Those who know me know that I've been through a tremendous amount of hardship in my life. Jesus never promised us that just because we believe in Him, everything would always be peaches and cream. But He did promise us this - that no matter how hard things get, He will always be there to help us through. He promised us that He never sleeps, never stops watching over us, will never leave or forsake us, will give us the strength to bear any burden life lays upon us. I've been there, where life is hard, and I can vouch for the fact that He wasn't lying. What I'm trying to say is this - life is so much better when you know God.

Surfing gives me just a taste of the joy that knowing God gives me. My heart breaks for people like the driver in the car ahead of me today who just don't realize that they don't have to be angry. Or sad. Or lonely. Or heartbroken. Or scared. Or anxious. The list goes on... I know that for some, I am 'preaching to the choir'. But some of you may not know Jesus the way I do. Some of you may not have had the chance to experience how much better life is when you know God. The Sadducees had a glimpse of what it was to know Him, and they followed Him even though their belief system should have made it pointless to do so. I know that there is an afterlife and that this life is only a warm-up for an Eternity to come. All the more reason to know God! I wish that I could have pulled the person in the car in front of me aside and shared with them how they could be truly happy. I couldn't. But I can share it with you. If you don't know Him, please consider the fact that this surf addict would gladly forfeit waves forever just to be with Him. That's how awesome it is to know Him.

If you have questions or just want to talk, my email is in my profile or you can reach me on facebook - Jeremy Youngquist, Seaside, OR.