The Wind and Waves Still Know Your Name
Shawn King / College & Young Adults, Online Pastor and Spiritual Formation Assistant
For the past four years, the college group has had a tradition of having an extended time of worship on the beach. It started as just a fun thing to do around the 4th of July holiday, and quickly turned into something we look forward to all year.
There have been quite a few interesting experiences there over the years. From a couple screaming and swearing at each other right next to where we were singing, to the bar down the beach nearly drowning us out with Kid Rock, we never really know what to expect when we get there.
This year we were delayed a little bit, as much of life has been lately. After an extra month of waiting for our ‘worship on the beach’ event, we met at the beach and found it was so windy and the waves were so loud that we could barely hear each other talk, let alone sing.
To be honest, I was pretty discouraged when we left that night. The whole thing felt pointless. We sang our hearts out, only to be suppressed by the power of the wind over Lake Erie. I confessed that feeling to Danielle and to my surprise, she felt the complete opposite.
“We could hear everything, every note, every word. It was great!”
There have been quite a few interesting experiences there over the years. From a couple screaming and swearing at each other right next to where we were singing, to the bar down the beach nearly drowning us out with Kid Rock, we never really know what to expect when we get there.
This year we were delayed a little bit, as much of life has been lately. After an extra month of waiting for our ‘worship on the beach’ event, we met at the beach and found it was so windy and the waves were so loud that we could barely hear each other talk, let alone sing.
To be honest, I was pretty discouraged when we left that night. The whole thing felt pointless. We sang our hearts out, only to be suppressed by the power of the wind over Lake Erie. I confessed that feeling to Danielle and to my surprise, she felt the complete opposite.
“We could hear everything, every note, every word. It was great!”
You see, the wind was blowing away from me and directly toward her and the rest of the group. Those desperate and lost-feeling notes were carried to the ears of those just a little ways away from me. What seemed futile to me, had a great effect on my friends and family.
Like the beach that night, when we come to times of worship the chaos around us can be soooooo loud. It's screaming for our attention, demanding we give up on the futility of song. I don’t know all that you’re facing right now. I can’t imagine the pain and struggle that some of you are going through. But my encouragement to you is to sing into the wind that seems so loud and let the Lord carry your voice to where it needs to go. After all, the winds know His name and go where He needs them to.