Tuesday 25 November 2014

More things motherhood has in common with surfing...

In my post titled "Some things motherhood has in common with surfing..." I have previously compared motherhood to surfing and if you haven't read it yet, you can just click on the link and read it. I wrote that post after I watched the movie "Soul Surfer" and perhaps You know, that I like to draw practical life lessons from movies.  In this movie, Bethany, the one-armed lead actress, painstakingly needed to learn to surf again and I felt, that this applied to me too. Now a mother and somewhat one-armed (with a baby seemingly permanently attached to my left hip) I needed to learn to live life again. A new life, less affected by my somewhat troubled childhood.

But yesterday, I watched a different kind of surfer movie called "Surfer, Dude" a 2008 American comedy film starring Matthew McConaughey in the role of a world class surfer. The movie consisted a great deal of them smoking "grass" and that might be a little off putting for some, but when you have a teenager at home, smoking a joint to escape the stress of raising him, suddenly seems so much more appealing (I am just kidding!!!). No, seriously, despite the high level of drug consumption, there were some things that I liked very much about the movie and I would like to ponder over them for a moment and share them with you.

The plot of the movie followed the surfers through a "flat-water curse", a very long period of time without waves. In other words, a total lack of action, which is devastating for dedicated surfers of course! For more than two months there were no waves. None, not even one! Such a long period of time is considered a "drought" and they even attempted to "break" it by fasting and meditating, but sadly to no avail. There was nothing else for them to do than to WAIT. All surfers know that they can't MAKE waves. All they can do is hang out together and wait and be ready to get down to the beach at the slightest feel of a breeze! As a matter of fact, surfers seem to spend an obscene amount of time waiting. Even in times of good surfing, in-between the waves they relax and wait, chat to each other and soak up the scenery, always ready on a somewhat subconscious level to get back into action and paddle like mad at the sight of another wave.

Wow! I can relate to that as a mom! 

How often have I felt, as a mother, that I lacked opportunity - a wave! I used to love being busy and ever so "efficient" before I had kids and now, being a mom, it often seems like I spend my life waiting. Waiting for them to finally go to sleep or to wake up, to get over the flu or to stop crying, to finish their plate of food or to come out of school, it seems I am always WAITING!! It's not that I do not enjoy these moments or do not enjoy being a mom, but I crave some kind of opportunity to shine, to prove that I can still do more. I crave a wave! Don't you sometimes crave one too? 

However, especially when my kids were small, there were no such opportunities, NONE. What was a drought of waves for the surfers, certainly was a drought of opportunities to me and I didn't always understand why. Occasionally I even tried to make something happen, make a wave of my own. But those were short-lived and somewhat futile efforts. Why? Well, having watched the movie, I finally get it. 

I believe opportunities, just like waves, come our way. We cannot make them but we can see them for what they really are - a gift from God, just meant to be enjoyed. Sometimes we are too late to catch one and we enviously watch someone else take it, but sometimes there are just none where we are. Especially as moms, we can't leave and go search for them, but we can wait and be ready to ride when they finally do come our way again. There was a purpose for the drought in this movie and there might be a purpose for the drought in your life. I have certainly discovered mine.

I needed to learn to relax more and wait...be ready, yes...but wait and wait with a good attitude. I have learnt to appreciate my time with God while I am waiting and the moments I get with my fellow surfers, other moms. There is absolutely no point in stressing over a lack of waves and very much the same way there is no point to stress or complain over a lack of opportunity. Opportunities do and will come, at the right time, the only question might be - are you ready to ride?

I have decided I want to live life the way surfers do...always on standby, ready to enjoy the gifts I am given by God and enjoy the beach with or without waves! I am blessed enough to live near a beach and there is so much more I can learn from the ocean, but as for today, well today, I just want to reach out to you and encourage you to enjoy waiting, alone or together and find comfort in these words:

"And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others." 2 Cor 9:8 (NLT)

Spend time with Him and you will have all you need! What a promise!

I took this picture just the other day and now I know why! Isn't it perfect? But if none of the above makes any sense to you and you got some time to spare today...share a moment with another mom or just go and take out the DVD of "Surfer, Dude" and I hope you enjoy watching it. HAVE A GREAT DAY!

(Photo is my own.)