Trials

Tragedy

Heartbreak

Death

These sometimes crippling devastations come without warning.

Oceanographers measure waves to monitor oncoming tsunamis. The unanticipated soul serene on the beach is unaware of the powerful wave getting ready to crash into them.

Almost a year ago, the Lord gave me the phrase, “Waves of Gratitude.” I knew precisely what its meaning was personally, however, I could not elegantly express its meaning in words to anyone else. Other than the daily ministry of making Christ’s love known, God wanted me to practice gratitude in all circumstances daily.

I fondly treasure symbols. More than once, I snuggled rocks in between my clothes in my suitcases internationally because I experienced a soul-satisfying moment with the Lord on a distant beach and the perfectly picked-out rock would stand as a stone of remembrance.

The ocean brings me exceeding joy. To me, it represents the greatness of God. Above the ocean for five hours on my first trip to Hawaii, although a little scary, gave tremendous comprehension to “grasp how wide, how long, and how deep is the love of Christ” (Ephesians 3:18). I could sit on the beach for hours meditating and talking with God.

Ocean and waves can have a negative characterization. For instance, there are rogue waves,

Freak or killer waves, extreme storm waves, greater than twice the size of surrounding waves and very unpredictable. They often come unexpectedly from directions other than prevailing wind and waves. (Noaa.gov)

Some view waves cascading down upon them, like the trials of life. Waves in the middle of the ocean seem harmless until they surge and gain strength. I want to train myself, and therefore share with you the practice of turning the waves of tragedy into waves of gratitude and praise.

Waves rise to a crest and then fall into a trough.

You have been in the trough before… the wave collided with you. You are on the bottom grasping to hook on to something stable. Guttural cries of pain come from deep within your soul over the loss of a child, cancer, finding out your spouse has cheated or left, financial debt, broken dreams, or being alone.

Why Lord? My son was the kindest child I have ever known! Why did he have to suffer and die?

Why did he leave? Our vows were, “until death do us part.”

Cancer? Me? But who will care for my children?

LORD, I am supposed to provide for our family! How?

Miraculously, the wave rises back up, and the Lord reaches down to you with His hand of comfort… A friend’s phone call… a loving message from someone… a reminder of promises from God’s Word.

Even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry and will deliver you. (Isaiah 46:4)

Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God-my God-will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD. (1 Chronicles 28:20)

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18)

Jesus holds you in His healing arms. He takes your hand and lifts you up again. You find strength for another step, another day. You find courage to step out in faith, even without answers, and trust the One who has been with you all along.

Instead of being tossed back and forth by the waves of everyday living, hold on to your anchor in Christ. Let Him guide you.

You are going to be knocked down by waves. This is a broken world, even more so today. It’s up to you, though, to lift your hand above the dark, swirling water that tries to pull you under and instead give praise to our God. I know that you have no strength to lift your hand when the devastation and the losses are great. I understand you get weary… I do too.

In Exodus 17, Moses led the Israelites to defeat the Amalekites. He commanded Joshua to fight the army and supported him, stating “Tomorrow, I will stand at the top of the hill, holding the staff of God in my hand.” Remember the staff, that God had used several times to perform miracles through Moses? “As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantaged (verse 11). But Moses became fatigued… as we do. So what happened next? Moses’s friends found a place for him to sit. One friend held up one hand, one friend held the other (verse 12).

Do you have a non-judgemental friend that will help hold up your hand when you cannot stand any longer? Find one through a church or a Christian mentoring ministry.

Stand in gratitude for the good Christ has done, and the provisions that He has made. Watch what He will do next in your life.

Take the wave that Satan tries to destroy you with and lift it up into waves of gratitude.

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8/NIV).

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us (Ephesians 3:20/NKJV).

But mightier than the violent raging of the seas, mightier than the breakers on the shore – the LORD above is mightier than these! (Psalm 93:4).