By David Vazquez

Recently I was invited to share at a youth camp that was held at El Faro. The theme of the camp was about surfing and the particular subject they assigned me was dealing with the waves of life.

This wasn’t exactly the type of thing I like to share about. Normally I am very positive and I like to laugh a lot so talking about problems isn’t my favorite thing to do, but this year in particular I have had to stand up against different waves that I haven’t ever dealt with before. Because of this I identified with the particular theme.

Keeping in mind that the theme dealt with surfing I began to investigate what was the least fun part of surfing, maybe even where the surfers suffered a little. It’s the part where you have to break earlier waves to get to the big one where you then use it to propel yourself back to shore.

Breaking waves is not something that’s easy, especially in the oceans that have the biggest waves, so surfers use the “duck diving” method.

Like the name “duck” suggests, this method consists of positioning yourself in front of the wave and when the wave comes near you must push down with your surfboard, paddling with all your strength to pass below the wave and then with the help of the surfboard allow the same movements to push you back up above the water. This requires a large amount of physical strength and it’s here that many people don’t feel strong enough and give up surfing.

The Bible reminds us in various places, Luke 17:1; John 16:33; 1 Peter 4:12; 1 Peter 1:7 that in this world we will have many different problems or waves in our lives. With this is mind it’s important to know how to confront and go through them.

To be able to do this there is one tool that is more important that any other for a surfer, the surfboard. It’s the same with us! We have each been given our equivalent of a surfboard and it’s faith!

Hebrews 11:1 reminds us what faith is. It’s the certainty of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen.

Like the surfboard that is attached or connected to the surfer the entire time they’re in the water, in the same way, faith has been given to us to be able to face the different types of waves. It allows us to pass beneath the waves when we use the “duck” method as well bringing us back up and keeping us afloat on the waves, being able to reach a point that seemed inconceivable or impossible.

Looking at the waves that we have gone through in 2016, huge and tumultuous waves, I can understand in those moments when it seemed I would sink, when it made no sense to swim further down, God was with us and by our faith put in Him we could not only resist but rather end up on top of that which wanted to crush us.

I encourage you in 2017 to keep moving forward in spite of the waves that will discourage, through sickness, financial problems, and emotionally draining issues. Remember that we have the best instructor, the Word of God. We have our “surfboard” faith, and the best lifejackets on our side.

We have everything within our reach to keep floating, and I would like to finish by sharing a saying that surfers have amongst themselves, “A man can be measured by the size of the problem that knocks him down,” and I would add, “and by the size of his God.”

Don’t run away from the wave, confront it!