A Call to Abide in Christ

Images: WSL/Cestari

At the beginning of winter last year, I acquired the perfect summer board. Boxy forgiving rails. Flat deck. Minimal rocker. Quad fin setup. A speed machine. 

You gave that thing one, two little pumps and next minute you’re flying down-the-line like a bald eagle, wings stretched wide, coasting on thermals. Needless to say, I spent the subsequent months perusing Surfline for days with less swell. The board even inspired several backhand air reverse attempts (which were all unsuccessful BTW).

The quandary with my backhand air, small wave shredding aspirations was that in coincided nicely with a Jeffreys Bay, El Niño winter. This translates to howling offshore winds and consistently pumping surf in the 6ft plus region. Not exactly ideal for a small wave board.

Then, just as winter ended, the offshores swung onshore and the lower pressure systems which garnish J-Bay’s points with 6ft swell dissipated, so I received the most gorgeous step-up.

Rounded pin. Narrow as can be. Pinched rails. Rockered out from nose to tail. Ahhh man, you can just imagine taking off on a Supertubes screamer, high-lining through the fast sections and doing the deepest longest bottom turns. But alas, winter had come and gone, and there I was facing down a lacklustre summer step-up waxed and ready to charge.

The problem with my surf aspirations is that I try curate the moment for my surfboard choice instead of choosing the surfboard that suits the conditions. 

And much like life, your plans should fit into where God leads you. And not the other way round.

The best plans one can make is to dedicate time to spend in His presence. It’s from a place of abiding in Christ  that God can begin to direct your steps. Jesus said, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” 

Apart from Me 

you can do nothing…

It's through authentic discipleship that individuals become agents of positive change in a world that desperately needs Christ.

So as you journey into 2024 - may you choose to deeply abide in Christ so that the desires of your heart reflect the desires of His.

Amen.