Living Water by David Nehrig

As my whole family crammed around the screen watching the WSL event at Teahupo’o, Tahiti our hearts were racing, eyes glued, minds blown, and a few dreams crushed. Over the season we had each picked our favorite surfers. We have gotten the chance to see some of the best in the world surf in person and watching them on the screen doesn’t even compare to the speed, power, and flow that you get when you see them live.

As the men took the water at one of the heaviest waves on tour, our dinner table was buzzing with excitement. Chores got pushed back, phones were muted, dishes piled up, and all eyes were on these massive waves. One of the questions raised was, “Dad when do you know you're ready to surf something like that?” I responded with “I don’t know if you are ever truly ready but you just have to send it.”

After reflecting on some of our favorite moments from that contest, Matt McGillivray’s 10-point ride, Slater's unbelievable run, and our hometown hero Kanao clinching his spot in the final 5, I thought about that question a little deeper. In our Christian walk, are we ever really ready? We make so many excuses for not sharing Christ, or changing some bad habits we know we need to stop. We often say that we aren’t ready to take that giant faith step or don’t feel prepared or equipped. Peter tells us in 1 Peter 2:9-10 that “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

Image: WSL/Brent Bielmann