Normally, getting my face slammed into gritty sand and then dragged for a few feet isn’t my idea of fun. But sometimes, the pain is worth the ride.

I think that’s how life is.

You see a big wall of water coming at you, and you feel your heart leap into your mouth. You can choose to duck your head and swim under the wave….

…or you can put yourself right in front of the wave for the chance to be lifted high and ride, exhilarated to the shore.

And then you’re so pumped you go do it again.

Isn’t that why we do the hard things we do? We do them because they give us a sense of purpose, they make us stronger, they diminish our fears, and they make life a ride worth living. What would life be if every time we found an opportunity, we just ducked our heads and swam under it? We’d never make a difference in the world. We’d never follow God’s purpose for our lives. Sure, if we avoided the wave, we’d never have them drag us under and smash us into the ground, but then we’d never learn how to get back up and keep going. And we’d never find what it’s like to (as the Beach Boys put it) catch a wave and sit on top of the world!

That’s why Neil Armstrong went to the moon. That’s why Martin Luther took a stand for Biblical truth. That’s why Irena Sendler smuggled 2,500 Jewish babies out of harm’s way. That’s why Harriet Tubman risked everything to work the underground railroad. That’s why we’re going to medical school and living on this tiny little island in the middle of the ocean.

We have to take those opportunities, we have to follow our calling. We have to ride those waves to get where we need to be. Otherwise, we’re just floating in the ocean.

What’s your wave?