Rev. Dr. Yvonne Martinez Thorne wrote the following meditation to be featured in Dr. Doug Hood’s upcoming book, A Month of Prayer and Gratitude: Five-Minute Meditations for a Deeper Experience of Gratitude.
“But God definitely listened. He heard the sound of my prayer. Bless God! He didn’t reject my prayer; he didn’t withhold his faithful love from me.”
Psalm 66:19, 20 (Common English Bible)
It was the night before my husband and I were to fly back home. We enjoyed our Christmas holidays on the island of Tobago. The sunny days, lush tropical landscapes, the majestic Caribbean Sea, lagoons, tropical birds, and fresh coconut water had done much to restore me from the hustle and bustle of work and ministry. For some unknown reason, I could not fall asleep. After tossing and turning, I quietly got up, went to our patio, and began to pray. I then opened up my Bible. Psalm 66 drew me. I became curious about how verses 11 and 12 might apply to my life: “You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance,” (Psalm 66:11, 12 NIV) I quietly wondered if something was about to happen. Little did I know that I would soon be encountering such a moment.
We took our final swim before heading back to our cabana. The Caribbean Sea was at its best for swimming through the waves and body surfing. My husband and I swam together as we waited for the perfect waves. As we were nearing our time to get out of the water, my husband made a gesture that I interpreted as: “This wave is a beauty. Let’s body surf it.” What I did not know was that this wave was not one to engage. I began to bodysurf the wave when suddenly and immediately, I became caught up in an undertow. What was I to do? Just as I wondered what to do, I heard the word “Surrender.” And I did. The undertow violently tossed me to and fro. I was thrust up into the air perpendicular to the ground by the force of the waves. At one point, another wave slammed my head into the sand. After what seemed like an eternity, the undertow let me go and I wobbly raised myself up and slowly walked to the shore and into the arms of my husband.
As we walked back to the cabana, I remembered the verses I had read. With tears welling up in my eyes, I knew that God had prepared me for what unexpectedly happened. I cried out, and he answered me. He brought me through an undertow and showed me an abundance of his love. I am ever so grateful to him.
As I reflected on what happened that morning, I came away with the thought that God sometimes allows undertows in our lives that we may experience our deep need and dependence on God and on his infinite love for us.
Undertows are powerful ocean currents. They form when receding waters from waves that have previously broken onto the shore merge together with incoming waves. Sometimes in our lives, we can experience the pull of undertows created by situations that come over us like waves breaking against our souls. They overwhelm us. Sometimes, we are able to face them and resolve them. At other times, the waves of life seem to break continuously against us and create an undertow, a powerful current that renders us unable to break free. The divine instruction remains the same: Surrender. “You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.” (Psalm 66:12 NIV). These moments invite us to a deeper experience of God’s love and goodness. With a surrendered heart, we overflow with gratitude.
Joy,
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