Weekend Worship—Are You Making Waves or Ripples?

Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be serious and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. I Peter 1:13

We got the chance to spend a week at the beach this summer and it was a much-needed rest for mind and body. I spent hours on the beach, no really doing anything, just watching the waves. We also had the opportunity to visit some local gardens and places with calmer water.

I was struck by the different way the water acted when it encountered an obstacle, or when an obstacle encountered it.

At the shore, the waves were relentless. The waves crashed into anything in their path, hitting again and again, conquering through sheer overwhelming numbers and brute force.

In the quiet waterways—the streams and canals—what ever intruded into the peaceful environs left ripples, but was eventually absorbed into the calm.

I’m like that, sometimes crashing through obstacles. I hammer away, letting brute strength carry me through. At other times I absorb the change, letting the stress flow outward until I’m peaceful once more.

I think there are times for both ways of coping, the key is making a conscious decision about which is right for the circumstance where I find myself.

Although I used to be more of a crashing waves sort of girl, the years have mellowed me and given me a little bit of wisdom. Now I’m just as likely to sit and absorb what has intruded, measuring my response as I consider the effects.

How about you? Do you tend to make waves or ripples?