The Tip of the Wave

How Faith Determines How Far the Wave Will Take You

Here we are — at the tip of the wave, the point of no return. We’re riding it, waiting to see what happens next. Will we hold our balance and receive everything we came for? Or will we wipe out completely? Can we ride it all the way to shore — or will we choose to jump off the board while we’re still far out?

I was driving one day and found myself thinking about exactly that. In life, do we have the ability to maximize the potential of the situations we’re placed in? Is it truly possible to hang on without fear and receive the maximum reward for our trials and tribulations? The answer that came to me was a resounding, unequivocal yes.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." — James 1:2–4

Faith Determines the Reward

This is exactly how the universe — how God’s economy — works. We are promoted and rewarded in proportion to the strength of our faith. If our faith is strong, we hold on longer and realize the maximum potential of the work being done in our lives. But if we fear, worry, and take matters into our own hands in a panic to control outcomes, we effectively diminish the very rewards we would otherwise have received.

This is often the precise thing that keeps us from the biggest prize. Fear and worry stop us in our tracks — or turn us away entirely from everything we ever wanted. In an attempt to protect what we already have, we forfeit everything we are being given. The irony is this: the moment we asked, the answer had already begun to form. The seed had already germinated. It is only when we refuse to receive the dream that it fades into non-existence. We asked but did not accept. We dreamed but lacked imagination. We ran from our own reward.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." — Hebrews 11:1

"Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." — Hebrews 11:6

The Catechism grounds this beautifully:

"Faith is first of all a personal adherence of man to God. At the same time, and inseparably, it is a free assent to the whole truth that God has revealed... By faith, man completely submits his intellect and his will to God." — CCC 150

The Seed Just Below the Surface

Consider this: a man once planted a seed in a garden. Every day he went out, watered the ground, and pulled the weeds. One day he looked at the bare soil and said, "All this time and effort, yet no plant, no blossom, no fruit." He walked away, convinced his work had failed. What he could not see was the plant — just below the surface, days away from breaking through the topsoil. Left untended, it dried up and died.

This is how it works in all areas of life. As we impatiently wait for things to unfold the way we expect, they are actually being facilitated in ways we may never have considered. Whether it is a giving that appears unreciprocated, an effort that seems unappreciated, or a seed that was quietly becoming a plant — we must remember: things will be when they are meant to be. All things will happen at the best possible time for those who remain faithful.

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." — Galatians 6:9

"Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will act." — Psalm 37:5

The Fear of Lack

I have seen those closest to me fall into this trap time and again. Could it be fear of the unknown? Would we rather dangle from the ledge than simply put our feet down on the terrace below? Clinging to material security will only weigh us down and keep us from the fullness of our journey. We must let go of the illusion and grasp the Truth. The more patient and faithful we are, the greater the results we will receive. The blocker, always, is fear of lack.

We keep jobs we hate. We stay in situations that diminish us. We define ourselves entirely by our circumstances. This is the perfect recipe for living a life of lack. When we submit to the illusion of physical limitation and ignore the strength of our spiritual identity, we fail to be what we were created to be. We grasp what we don’t really want and walk away from what we do.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth... But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven... For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." — Matthew 6:19–21

The Catechism speaks plainly about the spiritual danger of disordered attachment to material security:

"The beatitude of eternal life... sets us free from our inordinate attachment to the goods of this world so that we can find our fulfillment in the vision and the beatitude of God." — CCC 2548

Do you know people who have fallen — but don’t realize they fell? Fear of failure is a trap that keeps us from experiencing the success that is often already right in front of us. We chant in our hearts, Not enough, not enough, not enough — and we call exactly that into our lives. We are sowing lack with every fearful affirmation.

"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." — Philippians 4:19

Don’t Borrow Someone Else’s Illusion

Be very careful not to get pulled into someone else’s fear. I did it once — and found myself making decisions out of dread rather than faith. The voices of caution around me said, "Maybe you should slow down." I considered it. But what I actually needed was to do the opposite — to accelerate, to trust, to commit fully. You cannot make dollars by clinging to pennies. You cannot ride the wave by letting go of the board.

What we should be affirming — with everything we are — is gratitude for what we already have right now. Everything is supplied to us in abundance. My dad used to say, "You can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube." True. But what he didn’t see is this: once the toothpaste runs out, God will supply something else to meet the same need. Worrying about how long it will last only prevents us from appreciating what we have today.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life... Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" — Matthew 6:25–26

Security — real security — is not found in a number on a bank statement. It never has been. The mother on assistance says, "A million dollars would make me secure." The millionaire says, "A hundred million would make me secure." Not enough, not enough, not enough — and so the seed of lack is sown so deeply that they become prisoners of a world where there is never enough, no matter how much they accumulate.

"Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless." — Ecclesiastes 5:10

Ride It All the Way In

Ride the wave all the way to shore. Understand that there is another wave forming behind it. Enjoy the ride. Be grateful in the now. Let it take you as far as you are willing to go.

"I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me." — Philippians 4:11–13

With faith — genuine, fearless, joyful faith — we can experience all that there is. Hold on. Stay in. Ride it all the way.