Waves of Impact

"I love waves. There’s something mysteriously beautiful and majestic about a wave. I grew up surfing and experienced the awe-inspiring power of this invisible energy rolling through the ocean, creating a playground of adrenaline for us teenagers. It’s easy to underestimate the power of a wave. When my dream finally came true and I landed a trip to Hawaii, I was determined to surf the famous breaks I had only read about in Surfer magazine. I’ll never forget paddling out about 300 yards to the reef that first day. The closer I got, the more I realized how much I had underestimated the size and power of these waves. When I finally reached the break, all I could think about was how to get back in alive! My sudden reverence and awe for the power of waves was not unfounded. A cleanup set came in (surfer talk for a series of huge waves) that cracked my board in half and pinned me to the reef. I found myself praying to a God I didn’t yet believe in!
Waves can have enormous power! But what makes a wave powerful? Even a monstrous North Shore wave is actually made up of many small circular movements of tiny little water molecules all working together. Huge waves grow from little ripples caused by a steady, consistent breeze that keeps building and building. Each little molecule of water doesn’t move very far, but as a wave moves through water, the wave’s energy gets transferred from one water molecule to the next, moving together in a circular motion under the surface, allowing the power and impact of the wave to grow. The longer the wind can move across more and more molecules of water, and the longer the molecules of water work together in a growing circular motion, the greater the impact of the wave.
What does this have to do with us? It has everything to do with us. I believe God desires to make a huge wave of impact in this world through you. Jesus once described the way the Spirit of God works like the wind: “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). God’s Spirit is like the wind blowing across the hearts of those who willingly follow Jesus. If we follow the Spirit’s direction, little ripples of simple life on life investments, serving, growing, working together can build into a huge wave of impact. God can start a ripple effect that goes out from you and a small group of friends to change the lives of thousands."John Burke, Mud and the Masterpiece.

Another excerpt from a great book written by John Burke. I have been posting excerpts from his new book the "Mud and the Masterpiece" all week. I promise that after tomrrow I will be done.

This excerpt comes from the second portion of the book which begins to break down the how of what Jesus has called us to do. John does an amazing job communicating how ordinary people can do extraordinary things and impact the world with God's love. You don't need a degree or seminary training, just a willingness to see yourself and others how God sees you. Tomorrow I will share a story of an amazing couple in Branson, Missouri who did just that. Stay Tuned.