#2 The day I got caught in a riptide
On being a disciple and spiritual formation
Here's how it happened…
New Year’s Eve in St Ives, Cornwall, is a wild and colourful affair. The locals pack the streets of the quaint seaside town ready for a stunning firework display over the ocean at Midnight. What makes it so unique is that everyone turns up in fancy dress. And the Cornish understand their assignment.
I saw things I never thought I would see this side of heaven. Thanos walking next to a giant human traffic cone. Harry potter with a lobster. There was even a dinosaur and a dining nun. The highlight: all four Teletubbies sat drinking a pint!
Welcome to the coast.
The next morning on January 1st, my daughter Nyah and I went bodyboarding just off Porthmeor Beach. We hired wetsuits and enjoyed an hour of catching waves and making memories. After Nyah went back to the shore, I was left splashing around, eagerly looking for the next opportunity to ride a big wave.
I went with the flow.
Then, suddenly, a local surfer shouted to me from the other side of the water. He asked me the most generic of questions.
“Are you okay?” He hollered at me whilst bobbing in the breakers.
“I'm fine.” I answered. (That classic response).
Because I thought I was.
A few minutes later, a different surfer intentionally swam towards me and repeated the phrase.
“Are you okay?”
But this time, he added some instructions.
“You shouldn't be out this far with a bodyboard. Swim towards the shoreline right away.”
His urgent tone made me wonder if I should feel a little more concerned. Turns out the locals can spot an amateur from a mile away. He had seen what I was oblivious to. I was slowly drifting out to sea and had become caught in a riptide!
Apparently, a riptide occurs when different currents mix to make the water rough and dangerous. As narrow streams of deep water move away from shore, it can take anyone or anything in its path with it. It is what lies beneath the surface that makes them deadly because they are so subtle.
I was utterly unaware that I needed rescuing.
Soon enough, surfer number 3 appeared alongside me. But this time I recognised his face. What was the man who had rented me the wetsuit doing out here in the sea?
In the middle of the swirling undercurrent, my rescuer gave me an invitation to follow him. He came alongside me to navigate out of the depths.
Before I knew it, I was back on dry land.
I found out later that the guy from Porthmeor Surf School had been watching me from the shoreline as I drifted further and further away. Noticing that I was perfectly relaxed about my impending doom, he figured he better save me before I ended up halfway between here and the Irish Border.
On flowing and following
I learnt two valuable lessons whilst temporarily lost at sea that are still making waves.
Lesson 1: I am not Keanu Reeves from Point Break.
Lesson 2: All of us are subject to riptides in our lives.
Beneath the surface, there are undercurrents that shift our direction of travel. Life makes ripples; and we don't always notice where they are taking us. It is so easy to get caught in the froth.
One word for the impact of the constant flow that runs deep beneath our lives might be F.O.R.M.A.T.I.O.N.
These influences can include:
Family & Friends | Your companions imprint on who you are for good or bad
Opportunities in life | Your career, hobbies and adventures can cause you to shrink or grow
Romantic relationships | Your lovers can make you or break you
Media | Your podcasts, posts, books and binge-watches can change the way you think
Adverse experiences | Your challenges can trigger you and hinder you
Training & Education | Your intellectual pursuits can lead you inward or outward
Influencers & Role models | Your heroes can help or hinder you
Organised Habits | Your rhythms and routines can reshape your world
Nationality & Culture | Your background can define your identity
The flows we follow are at the heart of what we need to focus on when we talk about discipleship.
Here's the thing about all humans, religious or otherwise; we are all disciples of something. Our choice is not whether we will be discipled, but how.
As Pastor John Mark Comer puts it in one of his teachings:
‘We are all being formed into someone. For us as apprentices of Jesus, how do we become more like him?’ He goes on to say ‘our apprenticeship to Christ needs to be stronger than the stories we believe, our habits, our relationships and our environment.’1
Discipleship is about riding the waves with Jesus as the one to navigate us through.
Experts offer this simple advice if you want to get yourself out of a rip current: Swim parallel to the shoreline. We can escape the pull of the tide by aligning ourselves with something steadfast.
Amid the sea of culture, chaos and change, God has given you an anchor point in Jesus. Christ sees you from far off. There is one who calls to you over the roaring waves. He still comes alongside you even when you feel like you don’t need rescuing.
When did you last hear his invitation to follow?
John Mark Comer Teachings Podcast - How we change: Intentional spiritual formation
A great read Dave!
Top shelf stuff here Pastor Dave