Hallelujah Waves

It’s hard to be complacent or quiet about this sport. When you’re in the lineup and people are catching good waves left and right, there is a lot of enthusiasm. After an especially good wave, it’s real common to hear the favored surfer hoot and holler with pleasure.

I’ve decided to start tailoring my responses to great waves in a way that gives credit where credit is due. When I come down off of a particularly good ride, you are likely to hear me shout "Hallelujah!"

The word Hallelujah is Hebrew. It literally means, "Praise Jehovah", that is, "Praise the Lord". After all, the Lord invented the ocean. He conceived of, designed, and created me. Believing as I do in the sovereignty* of God, I know that each and every wave out there is lovingly handcrafted by Jesus himself. Each wave is a gift, and the really good waves are exceptional gifts. And so, I get excited and let fly with some heartfelt praise.

Sometimes, for variation, I will sing the four-fold Amen taught to me by one of my favorite songwriters, Mark Heard. It is a contemporary piece that goes like this:

A-amen, A-amen, Aaaa-aaaa-men, Oh Yeah!

If you should ever be out surfing and hear someone singing, paddle over and say hi to me.

Oh Yeah, indeed! Hallelujah!

* Sovereignty, i.e. God is In Charge....