I got a new surfboard this week. And not just any board. It was shaped by Rich Pavel who is a bit of a legend in the world of surf shapers. Years ago I had purchased one of his boards off the rack and it was like magic. I surfed it exclusively for years, finally retiring it. But I keep it on the surf rack for sentimental reasons. That surfboard shaped my surfing.
And now, over a decade and a half later, Rich sends me a picture of a board he shaped without my knowing it. And it is beautiful. He gave me a card with a picture of the board, and I couldn’t wait to hold it. Partly because Rich’s boards are notoriously hard to come by and I wasn’t sure, even with the picture, that it was real. People often wait years for their board after ordering one. It has been said that it is easier to find a wife and have a child than it is to get one of Rich’s boards. That might be true.
But looking at the picture I had a pit in my stomach. The board looked way too small. It was very similar to the board I had before, but let’s be honest, I was in my early to mid-thirties when I bought that first board, not recently turned 50. Most days I surf on a board upwards of 7’. And I don’t mind at all. I love to cruise on a longboard. It’s all about flow
But it is also much easier to paddle a bigger board. Easier to catch waves. Easier to pop up to your feet, as your joints stiffen over time.
“What are the dimensions?”, I asked. “How big is it?”
“Your size,” said Rich.
I couldn’t help but think, “maybe my size, but not my age.”
Finally, this week, I was able to surf it in legit surf. And the second I started paddling it, it felt familiar. The float, the rails, the feeling of popping up. But there were differences as well. A bit more foam snuck in here and there to assist with paddle speed.
And as I paddled into the first wave, I was struck again by the magic of this board. Because it is so fast! The thing accelerates exactly when you want it to. It doesn’t get stuck or bogged down. It almost feels like cheating the way it makes sections. I came away with the biggest smile on my face, and also that deep sense of appreciation and respect for a true artist of a shaper. I thought of Rich’s words…”It’s your size.” And thought of the intuitive burst of calculations and experience behind that statement. And I felt known.
And when I think of what is at the heart of spirituality, I have a feeling it is something very similar to that. To know and be known by the creator and designer. How each of us is “fearfully and wonderfully made.” Knowing and being known is the whole point. And it is so much more than data. It is knowledge of what you truly long for, even when it might look like it isn’t. We have a God who knows us better than we know ourselves. Who shapes a life for us that is there to push us, inspire us, and bring us joy.
So often I want a more comfortable life. That will feel a bit easier to paddle. I want to settle in and cruise. But we have a God who wants us to be so much more than comfortable. To paraphrase Eric Liddell, he also makes us fast. And when we run, or surf fast, He takes pleasure in our joy!