I recently wrote an article for our Church Newsletter that I think might be cool for some of you to think about:
To end this newsletter, I would like to share with you a story from this last month that is still impacting me. Last month, I took two of our youth to Los Angeles so that I could get some intense mentoring time with them. During the trip, I took them to hear my mentor share at two of his Bible Studies. We also went to Skid Row and fed the homeless. I was also blessed to have many of my friends from seminary reach out to encourage the guys. Of course, while we were down there I taught them how to surf as well. We actually were able to go four times in between the other stuff on our five day trip. On the last day, we decided that we should go one more time for a dawn patrol (early morning surf session). It was awesome! A good portion of my friends in LA made the trip with us. We had so many people that we were running slim on surfboards leaving us with what we call a beater board (beat up crummy board) for me. As we arrived at Topanga Beach the morning marine layer (smog) was not too bad. The waves were smaller but still had a pretty good shape. We pulled the sleepies out of our eyes after waking up at 4:30 am and waited for the team to show up. One of my dear friends showed up and had brought an extra surfboard with him. It was like the clouds had opened up as he told me I could use his board. The downside was that his board was missing a leash (used for retrieving your board after being hit by a wave also help to protect you and your board from having to swim all the way onto the beach to pick your board up). I knew I could surf this board still but was apprehensive about having to retrieve it if I messed up as well as if I were to do damage to it. But as we were walking out my buddy looked at me and said “Just because it doesn’t have a leash… pause… doesn’t mean you should hold back.”
It was in that moment that I felt like I was hearing a lot more than my buddy’s voice. I felt like there was some spiritual significance to what my buddy was saying. While I was out surfing I felt freedom to go for the waves and that I had the ability to save my board from being lost. The spiritual significance is this: Christ has given us not only freedom but a purpose. As we go out and live our lives we don’t have to hold on tight, we can feel God’s call to be “unleashed” to serve and make a difference. I feel like sometimes as Christians we can get caught or stuck in many ways, but in 2 Corinthians 3:17 it says “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” If we live by the Spirit through continued prayer and seeking to grow and understand Scripture, then we can walk in this freedom.
While I was surfing I caught some amazing waves and on a couple I lost my board. I was able to swim in and carefully climb over the rocks to grab the board, and then paddle back out. The same is true in our walks, if you ever loose it make sure you swim in and grab your truth or whatever it is you lost and paddle back out there. I pray the Lord will bless and teach you that he has called you to be “unleashed” on Farmington to spread the good news that there is freedom in Christ.
Oceans of love,
Lance