Surfing

I don't know about you but surfing always looks easy to me. When a professional does it anyway. Doesn't it look easy? They take a board out there. They have groovy hair. They have sweet hemp necklaces. They look totally relaxed. The stroke out in to the ocean like they were born swimming and like the board doesn't create any drag whatsoever. They wait patiently. They hardly even drift. And then... then the wave comes and the slide in to an upright position on their board. You can hardly see the motion they make that takes them from their prone position to standing on the board. Then they are riding the wave. They are inside the wave. They are flying. They are gliding. They come out of the water looking just as relaxed, if just a little flushed with the excitement and victory of their ride, as when they went in. Hemp necklace still in place. Perfect tan gleaming.

Gosh that looks easy.

If you have ever attempted any kind of physical activity you will know that it takes a lot of effort and a lot of practice and usually quite a lot of bruises. On top of that there is the investment in a board and clothes and even the hemp necklace. Sure everything looks "carefree" and easy but these people worked like crazy to make their surfing look easy.

We are practicing a new trick right now. We are putting together a curriculum for this summers (and many summers to come) interns. We are working on a church plant. We are working on starting a business. We are recording music. We are traveling. We are deciding on how we are doing all of these things and keep our community and family lives vibrant, healthy and happy.

It's fun. It's a lot of work.

In the quiet of Sunday

It's silent.

It's still.

It isn't an uncomfortable silence.

Someone has just finished speaking.

Everyone is letting the moment rest.

If someone speaks and someone else interrupts or explains, makes excuses or in anyway detracts from what the speaker just said it sours the moment.

It doesn't matter what just came out of that person's mouth.

There has to be somewhere that people are safe to share.

Be authentic.

It's a comfortable silence.

And then someone else opens up.

Their words gush out like water.

Unhindered and free because no one has placed a stone in front of them to disrupt the flow.

And then everyone is still.

As we let it soak.

And we are filled.

And it's quiet.

And it's safe.

To be.

Authentic.