Living Water by Amy Nehrig

We looked at each other in a sea of disbelief as Renata repeated herself, “the city kids will be here in the morning, and you will teach them to surf. But remember, most of them have never seen the ocean and they don’t know how to swim.” There were riotous murmurs around the CSUS team when we realized these kids’ lives were held in our hands. Many of them had experienced some sort of trauma in their life and CS El Salvador utilized surf therapy to help these city kids. We looked at the partners we were working with and gave a knowing look that these kids needed to be safe on our watch. They had experienced more challenges than a young child should encounter, and we knew this experience had the opportunity to be a healing one. 

The children arrived and instantly we saw a look of hope in their eyes. As they got their first glance at the ocean and God’s incredible creation, we all teared up at watching God’s power through a new lens. We thought we would have to convince the kids to enter the ocean, but without hesitation, they bounded for the sea. Our list of concerns grew as we knew the dangers. There was a crazy rip current, heavy surf, inexperienced surfers all around, and creatures they probably didn’t realize were swimming under their feet. But at that moment, those were not their concerns, that was the burden we were to bear for them. Their job was to delight in the ocean, to stand up on a board for the first time, and to feel the warmth of the water around them.

Psalm 46:1-2 says that “God is our refuge and strength, a great help in times of distress. Therefore, we will not be frightened when the earth roars, when the mountains shake in the depths of the seas.” God is calling us to be like these little children that fearlessly jump into the ocean. They did not let panic hold them back as they trusted their guides. They stepped forward into the unknown, knowing that someone was there to protect them. How often do we hesitate to take that step forward, forgetting that God is there to protect us? Do we trust in his sovereignty? Do we take the bigger leaps in life by serving Him, knowing that he is our refuge and strength?