God morning my brothers and sisters,
Here is wishing you all a great Friday and a smooth transition to a relaxing weekend. This week, I have been blessed to be able to spend some time on the beaches of the Outer Banks, in Avon, North Carolina. While there I took this picture of the pier and the surfers underneath them. It was a beautiful morning, just enough clouds to help the sunshine be a bit more intriguing. But honestly, it was watching the surfers arrive, prepare, swim out and sit on their boards waiting for the perfect wave that made it even more special, it brought me back…
…to one of the biggest privileges that I have been given these last couple of years. Marrying couples. I’ve been blessed to officiate a couple of weddings, and each one has taught me life lessons. One of the weddings was in Rincon, Puerto Rico, a surfing community. On the way there, I had prepared a message for the couple that was not just words but one that I was sure would be meaningful and received, profoundly. I try to personalize each ceremony to truly resonate with the couple and their guests…this time I thought I had a great message, but oh how humbling it was!
The evening before the ceremony, I was at a private party on the beach for all those that flew in. At that party. I spent a short time with the couple and during our conversation, I discovered their deep passion for surfing and the ocean. You see, the wedding was to take place by the seaside, a setting that perfectly reflected their love for each other, the sport and where it all started with them.
Up until that point, I thought I had the perfect message prepared. But as I listened to them share their connection with their sport, I realized the message I had in mind wasn’t what they needed to hear. It was a message addressing the young man who I knew and saw grow up. It was my message, but the Lord had other plans. That evening, the Lord humbled me, showing me that He had a different plan. Overnight, I was compelled to change the message entirely. The message was to be around today's Friday Fly-by word and it comes from Luke 24:30-31, and it says, "When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight." Think about this pattern that is illustrated in the bible many times, it has a great lesson, He takes us, He gives thanks for you with blessings in our lives, He allows breaking to occur in our lives, not to crush us but to ready us for blessing others. He wants you to know that you are not alone, He is there. The breaking point in our lives is a critical point of readying us, so look at it that way, you are in this to get thru it and bless others. What stage are you currently in, being taken, blessed, broken or being used for so much good?
So…The next day, as the waves rolled in and the ceremony began, I spoke of how the rhythm of surfing mirrors the sacred pattern we see in the bible and of the breaking of bread. You see a surfer is taken out to sea by the water, the surfers feel deeply grateful for the ocean and the blessing it represents in their lives. The calmness of waiting in the water is a moment of giving thanks. The surfer is blessed by this connection with the sea, just as we are blessed by God's grace.
Then wave arrives it is ridden by the surfer, then comes the breaking of the wave, a moment every surfer eagerly awaits. In the same way, Jesus breaks the bread, preparing it to be shared. The wave breaking is not a bad thing, it's a moment of beauty and transition—a shift from anticipation to action, from potential to fulfillment.
Finally, the surfer rides the wave, sharing the moment not just to themselves but to those witnessing a great ride. The perfect ride is not only a personal triumph but a moment that inspires and blesses others who witness it. In life, we too are taken by God, blessed, broken, and used to bless others.
Now this raises an important question…Where are you in this process? Are you allowing yourself to be taken by the Lord? Are you grateful and recognizing that you are blessed beyond your thoughts? Or perhaps you’re at a breaking point, the place where most people tend to give up.
If you are, I urge you to persevere through it. This is often the time when you are being groomed for perfection, being prepared to be used for greater things. Just like the surfer who waits for the wave to break, knowing that the break is what makes the ride perfect…RIDE IT OUT! Don’t give up, because the break is what shapes you, what prepares you for your greatest moments.
On my side of it, I was humbled thinking I had the perfect message but was quickly changed, reminding me of how God works in unexpected ways. Let Him!! At the end of the service, many came up to tell me how they had never heard the word so relevant and penetrating…that was not me, all glory to HIM!
Let it all sink in, take care everyone, love you all! Have a great weekend! Be blessed and go be a blessing.
For more information or to inquire about our holistic coaching services, reach out to:
J.A. Dava, Co-founder, Sr. Coach at Jdava@latreiacoaching.com/ 614-638-9397, or
Paul Waldrop, Co-founder, Sr. Coach at pwaldrop@latreiacoaching.com/ 404-784-3771.
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