August 1, 2008

Teaching Surfing

While you are paddling out, have your body on the board, laying down, and paddle out. When you feel the wave begin to push you, paddle 3 more times. Then push off with your arms right at your sides like this.


Pop up off the board and be in a crouch position. It looks something like this.


Never pop up and stand straight up. If you do, you will definitely drink some water.

This is me speaking at CSBY in North Carolina. I was teaching them to surf on a skinny table. I checked while I was up front, and it seemed sturdy. So I decided, why not?

I have no idea why I would ever teach anyone how to surf. I suppose I can, as long as they don't make me go to the ocean to show them in person what it is suppose to look like in person. Because I drank most of the ocean while I was in San Diego, learning myself.

I have found that it is pretty easy to learn to surf mentally. I understand the moves, movements, and the mechanics of it. I can teach someone else "how" to do it. But I would not be able to actually do it myself.

I think it is easy for us to get caught up in the same thing with our faith. As I travel around and speak, I can tell people anything I want, or God wants, and yet it is so much harder for me to live and do some of it.

Where is it that you tell other people how to do things, and yet you either do not, or cannot do the same thing? Should you be doing what you are teaching or telling?

1 comment:

Benjamin Gemmel said...

I totally understand what you're saying. I feel that way a lot when teaching others, especially on more "spiritual" matters. I think that's why I tend to stick to more intellectual stuff, because I'm a bit more in my element. I think the concern that I'm practicing what I preach is a constant one, and I often don't feel I'm living up to that.