Our challenges and fears can enslave us, but they can also empower us.
As a child, I did not get much of a chance to swim in the ocean. We did many other recreational excursions, but for whatever reason, swimming in the ocean was not one of them. When I moved to Malibu, it took some time for me to become acquainted with the behavior of the sea.
On one Friday afternoon, I was entering a larger-than-usual surf to experience my pre-Sabbath spiritual ritual dip. The powerful waves were much higher than my comfort zone, but the buddy that I was with is a surfer with a great deal of ocean experience. He convinced me that if I listen to him, I would have nothing to worry about.
My luck, as soon as we got into the water, the waves grew stronger and higher to the point that all I wanted to do was get back to dry land. As the ocean current began running in the opposite direction—with the waves pushing and pulling me—I felt as if I was miles away from the shore even though the distance was only a few yards. The relentless, crashing waves left me gasping for air. After getting slammed down several times, I found myself overcome with great fear. Thank G-d the waves came to a sudden halt, allowing me to regain my composure and safely exit the oceans domain.
After this incident, I took a break from entering the ocean. Instead, I would watch the surfers entering and leaving the ocean with a sense of confidence on their faces, and I would wonder if and when the day would come that I too could make peace with the sea.
Out of the blue one day, it occurred to me that those big, fast-moving waves that had kept me away from the ocean were the very reason why surfers from around the world come to Malibu's Surfrider Beach. How ironic! Both of us are observing the very same ocean, them with excitement and me with fear! What was I missing?
"This too is for the good." —The Talmud
Since my "out of the blue" moment, my newfound friend the ocean has taught me a great deal.
Indeed, the raging waters—like many of our challenges and fears—can enslave us. Or we can choose to break our chains, and with the help of G-d, allow the raging waters to empower or even ennoble us.