As I watched the sunrise surfers at my local beach the other morning, I thought about big wave surfing and how the surfer has to be towed by a jet ski because the waves are too big and too strong to paddle into. If a surfer is to gain enough momentum to ride this enormous body of water, he or she has to be towed into the wave.
The word ‘momentum’ popped into my head and stayed in my thoughts for a fair while, as I watched the big ball of energy that was encased in a golden sunrise slowly peek its face above the blue horizon. A perfect backdrop to frame the silhouette of each surfer, as they sat upon their boards in the water, waiting patiently for the next wave. My thoughts turned to why we write and how we write and then I thought about all the things that are needed to finish a writing project.
Writing needs a lot of momentum for it to gain enough speed to navigate the big waves it will encounter. It’s a creative discipline which requires plenty of thrust and propulsion to keep the words moving forward. As writers, if we start to lose the momentum within our plots, characters and themes, then the big waves of giving up will overwhelm us and knock us off our storyboards every time.
However, there is something that we miss when all we are looking for is the next big wave of success to carry us to the shores of fame and fortune. We miss moments… Like the characters we write about, we ride on the wave of our want, of what we believe is going to fix our life, instead of actually asking God what we need.
Psalm 139:3-4 in the Passion translation releases all the pressure of finding the right words. ‘You read my heart like an open book and you know all the words I’m about to speak before I ever start a sentence! You know every step I will take before my journey even begins.’
God knows all about you. He perceives your every thought and understands all your anxious cares of how to structure, figure out and write the words that are burning within your writer’s soul. You wonder if you’re crazy. Wanting to ride the 60-foot waves of an author’s life is not for the faint of heart. Many who have gone before have either let go of the tow rope too soon, given up when the swell gets too high or experienced a Wipeout.
The key to riding a big wave is to hang onto the tow rope. Gaining the speed you require is going to take the towing power of a community of people to help you build enough momentum to pull you toward the big wave. Writer’s groups, conferences and knowing what is needed to get you to the biggest wave will keep that tow rope steady until there is enough momentum to enter the barrel and ride the pipeline.
But above all else; get to know the Big Guy who’s driving the jet ski. The waves are going to be too big and too strong for you to paddle into. Spend time in His presence and seek His face. Let Him tell you what you need rather than what you want. Get to know Him intimately because this is where you’ll gather the most momentum. He’s the one who’ll be towing you all the way into the point break, and He will whisper the words into your heart that are needed to be heard.
The jet ski driver will be your biggest cheerleader when you’re finally riding the big wave and everyone is clapping and cheering you on from the beach. Just don’t forget to give Him all the praise, all the glory and all the thanks for what He’s done in you and what He’s going to do through you. Riding the big wave may seem impossible right now, but when has impossible ever stopped God?
Wendy xo
