Rogue Waves #1

On May 2, 1961 the sailing ship Albatross was traveling in calm waters in the Caribbean Sea. Suddenly, the wind picked up, the waves began to rise, and the ship was hit by a Rogue Wave over 100 feet high. On board was a crew of 4 instructors and 13 students all part of a combined college and sailing program. The Albatross was pushed over on its side and sank almost immediately.  Six people died, including 2 instructors and 4 students.

It’s unlikely you’ll ever face a Rogue Wave at sea. But you have – or someday will – face one here on earth. When you least expect it – out of the blue – without warning – something bad will happen. The phone will ring and you’ll find out a loved one has died. Or the boss will tell you, you no longer have a job.  Or the doctor will say the test results show you have cancer. Or your spouse will unexpectedly ask you for a divorce. It might be anything – for life is unpredictable. But one thing’s certain – no one dies without first experiencing a Rogue Wave.

The biblical character Job certainly was hit by a Rogue Wave. In fact, he was hit with several of them. Job lost his wealth, his children, and his health. Yet he still refused to sin by cursing God. But the story’s not over. Job was hit by another Rogue Wave in the form of three so-called “friends” who gave him worthless advice. Instead of helping Job, they actually made things worse. By the end of the story, Job had survived each Rogue Wave, and still hadn’t curse God.

What Rogue Waves have hit you? If you can’t name one, then wait. There’s no doubt that somewhere in your future is a Rogue Wave with your name on it. Why does God allow these experiences? How do you cope with them? And what can we learn from them? We’ll explore these questions in the next few blogs. But first … I’ll tell you about my Rogue Waves.