From Coast to Coast - Hurley Pro Trestles 2011

Trestles Line Up

After been on the road for the past two months I have arrived back home on the Gold Coast in Australia. Something I have learnt from been on the road is, it is always good to reflect when coming home. I would like to share briefly on what the Lord is doing on tour through the chaplaincy.

Winning and losing is a large part of competing, however, losing is always hard and seems to be something which many surfers on tour struggle to deal with. The expectation of winning can be so high that if and when someone loses it can lead to such an emotional slump where doubt and disappointment takes over. I noticed myself consulting a few guys on separate occasions after they lost their heats at the Trestles event. One seasoned surfer in particular asked why it is so hard to lose after all these years of competing. I thought about it, and replied, that if you make everything about winning and losing it is something you are always going to struggle with. I went on to say that you have to see the big picture when you try achieving something in life and if you concentrate on your shortcomings too much, it can be hard to see the light which is there to guide and grow us.

Another thought came to mind, If you place a plant inside, maybe near a window, that plant will grow towards the part of the window which collects the most sunlight. People are the same, in that we need to grow towards the light. If there is an obstacle or hurdle in the way, we must negotiate it and find a way to continue pushing forward to get to the light. The same principal works in life with God as our source of light. In order to grow closer to what he has in store for us, we must grow towards Him. As His word says, draw near to God and God will draw near to you. (James 4:8)

Growing towards the light

After thinking about this for some time I spoke to another surfer about the idea of winning and losing. We spoke about how even when you win how it can upset our balance of emotions. It can send you on such a high that it can be hard to come down from it. I questioned him about the feeling he gets from winning. He replied that he no longer feels he has to win to feel complete. He then mentioned how God has filled that hole in which he had tried to fill with winning not so long ago. The fascinating thing about this was that this was the same surfer I had spent some time with last year challenging him about his journey on tour and with the Lord. It is awesome to see that God is continuing is building on the relationships I have with these guys to reveal more of Himself to them.

Who do you surf for?

I would like to encourage you to continue praying for these surfers as they travel. The next stop on tour is the Quiksilver Pro in France. I am skipping this event as I am a groom’s man at one of my mate’s weddings. I also will be going to the Sports Chaplaincy Australia conference next week in Melbourne, then, I will be off again for the Rip Curl Pro in Portugal. Thanks for your support and encouragement.

God Bless

Abe