Last Friday I scratched another thing off my “bucket list” when I went surfing with the boys. While I had a blast surfing I had more fun teaching the boys to surf.
In reality I really don’t know how to surf, but I discovered throughout the day it’s all about timing.
If we got too far out in front of a wave it would go over us and we’d fizzle out. If we waited too long to get momentum we might miss out on an incredible wave that could have taken us all the way in. Success for us was completely dependent on watching, being ready, and knowing exactly when to start paddling.
The boys had the most success when I would stand watch for them. They would be ready to start paddling and I would be looking out waiting for the perfect wave for them. When I saw it I would say to them “Go! Start paddling!” and off they’d go.
Sitting out there with the boys waiting on the next wave I couldn’t help but think about all the different waves God has sent along in my life.
So many times God’s sent some incredible opportunities my way and I simply wasn’t ready for them. I wasn’t paying attention. My thoughts and focus were elsewhere.
There have been other times I was ready but too anxious. I got nervous and wasn’t willing to wait on His timing and took things into my own hands and got too far out in front of Him.
I’m learning more and more I need to be ready and willing to wait to hear God’s voice and when He says Go I better start paddling.
David reminds us in Psalm 31:15 “My times are in your hands..”
What wave are you waiting on? Maybe it has to do with…
-a church plant
-a relationship
-adding staff
-changing jobs
-a major purchase
-having children
I pray you’ll continue to be ready, and then wait on His voice. When you sense the timing is right, trust His voice and paddle with everything you’ve got. You just might go on the ride of your life.
What am I waiting for and am anxious about? Well, like most people my age, I am waiting for a great man to come into my life. I get very impatient at times, but then have to step back and look at how many times God’s timing was perfect in my life, when I would’ve wanted it another way. I know it will happen one day, but right now, I have to make the most of every opp. God has laid before. Life is too short…as we can see from the sad news yesterday.
Falguni Patel’s last blog post..Cooking Is A Hobby
Great pictures! & great post too
Sarah’s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday
so fitting to what is going on in my life right now with work and personal life. Just trying to trust and wait and try to hear his voice!
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@Jessica Esch, you’ll be glad you did.
looking buff!
haha.
I needed to hear those words today. Before you even finished, I knew where you were taking us. I see the wave swelling in my life, and I’m eager to jump in there and ride it.
Mine has come with my writing. Thought I was done with the novel I wrote, but God’s telling me no, it’s not ‘just the way He wants it, yet.’ It’s a work of fiction, but there’s something He wants to say through it, so I’m trying to not rush to ‘be done’, but it’s so hard not to. I had the dream editor from the dream publishing house ask me to send it when I finished it. That was some time ago. This is my first book, so I’m eager to get a foot in the door with this opportunity, but I feel like my chance is slipping away. Feel like I’m gonna miss my killer wave!
But not if I wait on God, and waiting for the right time, for things to be ‘done’ when God says it’s done, it’s so hard. And I’m struggling with it.
I have 3 family members/friends who were open to hearing about Jesus after reading inspirational romances, when they had previously NOT WANTED to hear about Him at all. After they’d read those romances, hard times hit each of their lives. In conversation (I believe divine timing) they each, separately, told me they wished they could handle the situation the way the main characters handled their situations in those books (by another author, not mine…yet
). The main characters all relied on Christ as the answer, Who they needed to turn to.
The door of sharing Christ opened with my family/friends. Now each of those ladies loves and serves Jesus.
I want my writing to have that affect on someone out there in the world. Someone who picks my books up for entertainment value, but finds Truth woven throughout an entertaining story. I hope it will provoke their souls to seek Christ as their answer.
So…I just need to watch my Watchman, and be patient for when He says it’s done. It’s my first book, I know that probably makes it, in many ways, the hardest one I’ll write.
My spirit wants to obey, my flesh wants to tick it off my list.
Thanks Pastor Pete, for praying for us. Even those of us that cyber-commute into CP. A lot of Jesus’ love being shared around here.
Now…I’ve got to paddle out and wait for my wave…wait for it, because timing is everything, just like you said.
Thanks for the reminder to do just that.
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aw, man, Pete. You broke the 35th rule of the Pastor’s Creed:
“Never let them see your boobies.”
Actually, I don’t know if that rule is in the Pastor’s Creed or not. If it was, it would be over-ruled by section 17a: “Let them see you love your family.”
So, about all this wave symbolism… were there any ‘sharks’ to be wary of? Or do we have to be cognizant of getting ‘sand in our shorts’?
I love metaphors… they are so much fun!
Tony York’s last blog post..Poetry – Country Rain
Love the water wings surfing. Good stuff Pete.
DubHow’s last blog post..Ironing is the Devil!
I am waiting…..and trying to be as patient as possible…..to hear what God has planned for me for our family size. I know He doesn’t waste any experience that we encounter and it will be revealed to me why I am having multiple chemical pregnancies/early losses these past few years in due time.
But I will admit that it is easy to trust in His will when things are going your way and/or our prayers are answered. But the true test of “trusting” in Him is when you feel your prayers are not answered.
ps. Great photos!
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@Tony York, you crack me up!
We were warned right before we went out there that a 3 foot sand shark was just seen out there.
Almost didn’t go but I told the boys there always out there we just don’t normally see them.
Run with that one….
love the parallels! great post. thx.
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Ok.. so here it is then.
When we are talking about waves that God sends our way AND we take into account that there are sharks seen and unseen in the midst of the waters, a certain level of risk is involved in those endeavors.
Now, we could run shrieking back to shore like the comfort-loving-give-us-traveling-mercies-dear-Lord-take-this-cup-from-me-cause-I-ordered-something-sweeter-American-Christians that we are.. (no, I didn’t really say that)..
OR…
we can see that wave as a great adventure because of the risk and not in spite of it.
We may not be able to walk on the water like Peter but we can sure boogie board it if we just keep our eyes on the Lord.
Tony York’s last blog post..Poetry – Country Rain
“Almost didn’t go but I told the boys there always out there we just don’t normally see them.”
That line owns me at the moment. Thanks.
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Did you blog about surfing because you knew I was coming to hang out? Great analogy.
The timing of this is good for me, personally. Thanks! I needed this today.
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Sooooooo true!!!
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Gosh Pete, how did you know? A church plant! Absolutely. The passion and enthusiasm for this is as powerful today as it was when God first laid it on my heart. We are waiting on God’s timing so that we can catch that proverbial wave.
- Mike
Great picture BTW!
Thanks for this post. These messages constantly grab at my attention, as I’ve been in the preparation mode to plant an urban multi-ethnic church for the last 3years. Just last month, things were coming together smoothly and I was going to team with a denomination (not affiliated with my current church) that has tons of experience and resources for urban church plants.
Then our worship leader stepped down suddenly and I’ve been “filling in”. The leadership have asked me to post-pone the plant and be the worship pastor for 3-5years.
Ever since then I’ve been asking if this (WP) is a Godsend or a distraction? Is He saying,
this is the wave I am supposed to catch now and the urban CP will come later? The big Kahuna?
Sorry I don’t ride waves. I don’t even like the beach. I’m already tan enough. I did enjoy climbing the Diamonnd in WaiKiKi though. Amazing view!
Wow Pete. Your words never cease to amaze me. I am waiting on the big “relationship wave” and at 35 I sometimes start to panic in terms of wanting to have a family. It seems my passive attitude towards finding the right man for me has allowed time to sneak up on me. It is really hard to find a balance between, “letting go, let God” and “Oh my goodness I am 35 and still haven’t found “the ONE!” But thanks for reminding me that timing is everything and sometimes I still don’t feel ready to ride the relationship wave that God may have planned for me. I will continue to trust that God has a plan for me and I will work on myself more so that I will be ready when my perfect wave finally comes.
Riding those waves is the biggest thrill you will ever have. Missing one can be devastating.
Lately, kinda feel like I’m surfing in a farm pond.
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This is fabulous…exactly what I needed to be reminded of today!
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Perfect analogy. I love it.
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Great word…especially for this time in my life right now. Each year, I pick a new verse to live by…this year it has been Isaiah 6:8…Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, whom shall I send and who will go for us and I said HERE I AM, SEND ME.
Now I’m just waiting on my wave to come.
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Great analogy, Pete. I really needed to read this right now… thanks.
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@Lori Cox, that can be one of the most difficult waves to wait on. It can also be one of the most devastating to jump to early on. Praying for God’s wisdom for you.
pete wilson’s last blog post..Timing Is Everything
Wow Pete. This post and the comments it generated are awesome! I love current parables! Thanks for sharing this one.
I can certainly relate to several waves in my life. Like Tina Dee, my major wave is publishing a manuscript–memoir in my case . This story has given me a new boldness to witness as I share my website with someone. I was very close to moving forward on one option to publish when God brought another editor across my path–don’t paddle yet! I pray I’ll listen closely for that command from God: “Paddle now Jim”
All in His perfect timing!
God Bless,
Jim
The look on your son’s face is priceless! The memories you made on that vacation are priceless! The analogy – including Tony’s help with the shark – was perfect for getting the wheels to turn in our own thoughts. And I gotta go back to say again…the look on your son’s face is priceless!!!
Wow! Pete, my wife and I sat out on our back deck and were talking about what so many are commenting about here. This blog NAILS IT!! i have never water surfed, it looks scary. I am praying that our timing is right, that we spot the right wave and that we have the wisdom to ride it when the time is right.
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What a perfect thought/post for me today! I was at Beth Moore’s LPL conference in Pittsburgh…she talked about being in “constant suspense” which is EXACTLY where I am right now in a relationship…waiting on him to make up his mind…hahaha…it is a lon complicated story…anyhow, thanks for the reminder to wait on the timing…I have seen God’s perfection working in the timing of things in my life already, why do I doubt now? hmmm… Thanks Pete.
Amber L’s last blog post..Things that make life beautiful!
these photos after the dress code discussion we had??!!
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@anne jackson, go back to unpacking.
pete wilson’s last blog post..Timing Is Everything
Hi…I’m a teenager and have read your blog and you wife’s blog for quite some time. But I’ve never commented before. This post is SO what I needed to hear. I’ve recently lost my ‘brother’ (closest guy friend that was like a brother to me) and my best friend. My best friend and I would like to be best friends again down the road…no clue how long that will be though. There’s a lot of trust that must be built up first. And my old ‘brother’ has stated that he doubts he’ll ever want to talk to me again etc. But I love them both and am trying to wait on God’s timing for when to fix things. This post showed me that although I thought I was leaving it in God’s hands, I wasn’t completely doing that. Thank you so much for posting that.
Sorry to hear that Kaitlyn. You’ll be in my thoughts and prayers.
pete wilson’s last blog post..Timing Is Everything
I think that when you blog, you come into my brain and write directly to and about the things in my life. Since a lot of people have said that, that is proof that God is writing these words, not you and that He is just using you to say them.
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@anne jackson,
What IS the dress code for proper pastor beach attire?
Say that 4 times fast.. proper pastor beach attire.. it sounds kind of cool.
I am going to try to get on later tonight to listen to this week’s questions on your current series… hopefully it will be up by then.
Tony York’s last blog post..When poetry goes bad… real bad.
Yeah so Daniel and I are waiting on the wave of children at the moment. About a month ago we looked into adopting two little girls but it ended up being a “no”. So now we are waiting for open or shut doors. I never really thought of myself as a mom, but whatever. If God says “go” we will go. I wonder if they will come in diapers or with size 7 shoes.
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