Riding the Wave

I have been thinking about the term "Riding the Wave" and while it sounds like a fun ride, it occurs to me that it can be cool as long as you know where the wave is headed.

I can think of three different destinations for waves:

1) A nice, wide, sandy beach. This is the place everyone assumes they are headed when riding a wave. I've seen surfers finish out their rides right on the sand without even stepping in the water! Nice! If this is where you are headed, as long as the ride is a good one, the end is justified.

2) A rough, rocky jetty. This would certainly not be a place you want to end up. Yet it happens a lot more than people want to believe or admit. While they are paying attention to the ride and assuming it's taking them where they want, they miss where the final stop ends up. "Pride goes before a fall," scripture reminds us. This is not a happy ending, but many never even include this possibility in their plans.

3) Out to sea. This happens when outside forces like wind or currents redirect the wave. This ride never ends or does so when it is far from the safety of shore with no chance of a safe landing.

So when you think you want to ride the wave (of whatever) in your life, make sure you take the wave God is directing you to. That will give you the first result. When you pick the wave, it's more likely you'll end up with a second or third place result.

And that crash at the end can devastate more than your ego.