The Current

It’s been a long time – too long, I think - since I’ve been underwater, but all the basics of SCUBA diving are still fresh in my memory. Not surprising, since my dive instructor taught me well. And in this ocean of life, we’ve been fortunate enough to have come under the tutelage of a pretty good Instructor – the best there is – as well, a Teacher who has valuable lessons on sinking and swimming, of the importance of keeping your head above the waves, and even on walking on water and going out into the deep. And since both instructors are excellent educators on the art of survival, some of the lessons they teach are invariably the same – albeit applicable in different contexts.

Like one rule I learned early on: don’t fight the current.

According to Drill Sergeant Dive Instructor Sir!, there are three ways to deal with the current. Fight it, in which case you end up with a massive headache afterwards, not to mention using up all your air from hyperventilation – not a very good idea. Stay low, hold on to something firm, and let the current wash over and pass you by…after which you can proceed with your dive plan when the waters have stilled.

Or – and this is my favorite alternative – go with the flow, and simply let yourself be swept away. Submit to the whims of the current, allowing yourself to helplessly tumble every which way it leads you. Although you may not know exactly where it’s taking you, enjoy “flying” through the exhilarating ride while you’re at it… just like the turtledude Crush and his buddies did on the East Australian Current (totally known as the “EAC”). And eventually, the current will take you to calm – although sometimes strange – waters.

When life’s currents are raging against us, our natural tendency is to fight against them; to struggle and throw ourselves directly in the path of most resistance, hoping that we will prevail against the motion of the tides. And yet by doing so, we oftentimes end up doing more harm than good. Struggling against the current is like grappling with God: you know you will never prevail, even if your will wins out in the end. Oswald Chambers once said that if you wrestle with God simply because He is working in a way that doesn’t meet with your approval, you force Him to put you out of joint…and, like Jacob, to be crippled for the rest of your life (Genesis 32:24-25). Truly, by fighting against God’s currents, we refuse to acknowledge that His thoughts are above our thoughts, and that His ways are above our ways (Isaiah 55:9).

Fighting against the current – literal or figurative - almost always leads to debilitation and disaster. It is far better to keep our heads down and hold on to the firm foundation of our God’s promises, while He calms the raging seas that are crashing upon us, and then to proceed on our course when He signals “OK.” Or, even better, to LET GO and let Him direct the tides – even if they might seem frighteningly overwhelming, even if we know they will take us to a destination different from that on our “dive plans,” even if they eventually take us into the strange waters of the deep. As long as the Dive Master of our lives is in charge, riding the current can be the most exciting experience. And we are promised that calm waters are never very far ahead. For after all, He’s a totally awesome Duuude. ;-)

SCUBADudong (a.k.a. my best friend Neyney) still gives lessons. So does our other Instructor – although in His case, it helps a lot to read the Manual too.

7 January 2004