Around seven years ago I moved back to San Diego and a friend took me surfing. I was out of shape and it showed. Well, I was in a shape of a guy who really liked Kansas barbeque. And I really liked Kansas barbeque. So we surfed a gentle spot with a nice clean parking lot. It had a sandy shore and nice showers. After a few weeks of surfing the gentle break, he took me to a reef.
I remember walking barefoot, down the cliffs to the reef with him. Ow. Ow. Ow.
Then walking on the rocks to the shore. Ow. Ow. Ow.
Then walking on the rocks out into the water. Owwwweeeee!!!
The whole “beach” was covered with a beautiful river rock and below the water lurked a jagged reef. While gentle to the eye, the river rocks hurt like a mother. Each rock seemed to embed a portion of itself into my heel, the balls of my feet or the top of my arch. My excess BBQ weight didn’t help. It was an endless march to the shore where I mercifully began paddling.
That first time was awful. I was outmatched. I was scared.
Two drops of pee came out.
2015 when I thought I knew how to surf the reef.
Eventually I paddled in.
Of course I scraped my knee on the reef and then gingerly tried to tip toe back to the cliff.
It was awful. I was never going to surf there again.
But five years passed. I got stronger. My barbeque weight melted off.
(I might have replaced it with some tamale weight)
I started thinking about that wave again.
My gentle beach break with the showers and the parking left something to be desired.
And so I started back to the reefs again.
It wasn’t the road to Mordor but the walk to the water still hurt.
And on my way back to the shore, IT STILL HURT MY FEET.
But I kept going back and soon enough it felt like home.
On bigger days I am forced to almost run on the rocks and my feet actually end up black and blue on the bottom.
But yesterday while surfing I was thinking about those rocks in relation to the church.
To enter true community, you have to risk some things. You have to walk on some rough terrain and YOU have to make the walk. No one can do that for you. We can try our best to carry you but we can’t. YOU have to seek people out. YOU have to respond to our calls and texts. YOU have to make the effort. YOU have to be willing to be hurt. It feels impossible. But it’s the only way to truly being known. Friends, it is scary! (Did two drops of pee just come out?) I get it.
You may have felt pain when you left community last. It was rocky.
Now you feel hurt or lonely and find yourself unwilling to venture back out.
But there is someone who needs YOU in the church and you need others.
Your children need a loving church family.
Galatians 6:2 says to:
Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
You may be tired and sitting your butt on some pokey river rocks right now.
You might even have a cut on your knee and bruises on your feet. You’ve been hurt or lonely. You are back on the shore and you are wondering if it’s worth it.
It is. Venture back into community. It’s worth it.
Find a city group. Call a friend. Join us Sunday.
Heck, if you’ve been alone and cannot come back, join ANOTHER church on Sunday.
We just want you around people who know you and love Jesus.
God has you!
-Pastor Dale