Surfing

This past weekend I had the opportunity to don my wetsuit and throw myself out into the waves of the Pacific ocean, all the while attempting to stand up on a board that was being hurled back towards the shoreline by the waves.  I will admit that the vast majority of the times I threw myself into the ocean, the ocean threw me back in a similarly mercilessly nature.  I am not an experienced surfer; in fact, I just picked it up a few months ago.  However, I enjoy immensely and am already looking forward to my next opportunity to take on the powers of nature.

As a skier I’m used to standing on boards moving at fast velocities.  Granted, surfing is different than skiing, but it’s also similar in many aspects, such as setting edges, balancing, and taking falls.  It does have its share of unique muscle demands and coordination nuances, but that is part of the reason why I’m so interested in it.  Furthermore, the playing field is constantly changing.  When skiing, if one misses a patch of fresh powder he or she can ride or hike back up to it.  When surfing, the waves aren’t so obvious (though they can be predictable).

It’s interesting to me to see how things can be so similar and yet at the same time so totally different.  We as human beings have the incredible ability to train our bodies and minds to perform in certain ways.  Often times there are aspects that connect different activities together, but there are generally enough aspects to make each new endeavor difficult in its own right.  For example, alpine skiing, telemark skiing, and skate skiing are all carried out on skis.  Thus, the common elements of having long, skinny boards attached at the feet is shared among the three sports.  However, anyone who has experience with the three will attest that they all use very different techniques, and all have a significant learning curve despite prior experience.  When I was learning how to skate ski, I was (and still sometimes am) totally perplexed at the fact that I was wearing skis because they handle so differently from other varieties.  Learning to telemark was a similar experience.  I think that having a background in skiing certainly helped, especially in terms of balance, but it did not mean that learning a new style could occur in a matter of hours.  It still took lots of practice, lots of energy, and lots of focus to be able to become proficient.

I think this can be applied spiritually as well as physically.  When I was serving as a missionary in Thailand for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I saw many instances in which this occured.  Often times people are able to feel the influence of the Holy Ghost.  Sometimes this is referred to as the Light of Christ.  Some people are particularly sensitive to it.  However, it does not mean that learning that the church is true or becoming converted to Christ is an easy topic.  While it does help point them to Christ, each person must still put in the energy, the work, the focus, and the sacrifice to truly experience the blessings that Christ would have them enjoy.  It’s disheartening for me to see people expect to bypass the sacrifice necessary to have a complete conversion.  Even Christ’s own disciples had to go through fierce storms in order to lead them to complete conversion.  The storm through which they pass in Mark, chapter 4, verses 35-41, is not only a physical manifestation of Christ’s power, but also a symbol of the spiritual storms through which they will later have to pass.

We all have to pass through storms in our life.  No matter how experienced we are, no matter how finely tuned our skills are, no matter how prepared we are, life will present storms that throw us around.  Were it not so we could not progress spiritually.  We are allowed to pass through these storms in order that we might, using skiing or surfing as a metaphor, spiritually develop balance, strength, endurance, awareness, and other attributes.  At times it seems that there is no break in the winds, or the clouds only become darker.  However, it is in those moments when we can turn to our Savior and seek to hear his words, “Peace, be still.”  I have felt His power in my own life, not necessarily to calm the storm but to calm me so that I can weather the storm.  I have a firm knowledge that the storms through which I have passed have shaped me and have taught me.  I would not trade them for anything.  To trust in the Savior is to voluntarily accept to pass through some of the fiercest storms one can imagine.  However, to trust in the Savior is also to allow Him to bestow upon us his peace.