Undertow!

For some reason, the concept of an undertow dropped into my mind on one of my drives to work this week, so I decided to explore it on a spiritual level, since that's what my morning drives focus on.

In Australia, where we all (pretty much) live along the coastline, we learn to be aware of the dangers of what looks like the "easy" water. We are used to the constant movement of the surf, with waves rhythmically surging into and away from the shore. Sometimes those waves are gentle and lapping, and other times crashing vigorously. We know to avoid the intense surf days (except for those crazy wave riders who look for the challenge they bring!). On those days we love to just drink in the power of the ocean, from the shore. And then there are the more rolling surge days - days when we love to dive through and play in the cool of the waves.

The trickiest bit of enjoying the waves is getting beyond the point where they break downwards into the sand. I've had my share of being "dumped" onto the ocean floor with the force of their breaking. And so on the more rough days we might stand and watch their rhythm and determine where and when is the best place to enter to avoid a "dumping"!

Sometimes, there appears to be an area along the beach where it is much smoother and seems to be free of the big waves. It can be tempting to use that as your entry point. But we have learnt that this is very deceptive. What looks like an easy way through is actually a trap! Those areas are marked, on the main beaches, by flags placed there by the lifesavers who patrol them. That calm water hides an undertow that seductively draws you quickly away from the shore and out to sea! And you cannot swim back to land from where it takes you! It's influence is far too strong - even for experienced swimmers!

The only way to get out of the undertow is to do something counter-intuitive! When your brain sees the danger, it wants to swim against the current, straight back to shore, as it sees it slipping away! But to do that will only exhaust you. To survive, you need to swim across! Parallel with the shore, into the area where the rougher waves come in! It is the only way out of undertow and back to a place where your efforts will have positive results!

So it can be with us in life. Sometimes we let ourselves "go with the flow" and find ourselves in deep waters! It seems like the easy way at the time! And when we realise the danger we're in, we try to reverse it! But the damage is already done! There's no way directly back. The only way out is the "cross" way. Jesus is the one to get us out of the undertow! Back to safer waters! And yes, these safer waters might seem like a harder way to live! But he helps us to navigate them - all the way home.

He's like the lifesaver who puts out the flags to show where the undertow is and warns is not to swim there! And then he is the one who puts his life on the line to get ours back to safety! Beware what looks like the easiest, "funnest" way to live. And if you get sucked in, reach for the lifesaver who made the way out.

No photo credit