The Dreamer of Santa Cruz
California
Adrian Morales had always lived with the sound of waves. Growing up in Santa Cruz, the ocean was more than scenery — it was a teacher, shaping his dreams and his faith with its rhythm. His mother used to say that God often spoke through three voices: Scripture, people, and creation. For Adrian, creation spoke every morning in the crash of surf and the call of gulls.
But by twenty-seven, his life didn’t look like the dreams he held as a boy. He was working two part-time jobs — repairing surfboards at a shack by the beach and serving coffees at a coastal café. He had once believed he’d start his own board company, designing unique boards with Christian symbols woven subtly into the artistry — reminders that God rode every wave with you.
Instead, he felt stuck.
One chilly evening, after a long shift, he walked the shoreline with hands deep in his hoodie pocket. The bonfire circles were crackling with laughter from nearby college students, but he felt a quiet heaviness. He prayed under his breath, “Lord… did I miss my chance? Did I misunderstand what You called me to do?”
The ocean didn’t answer out loud, but a verse rose in him — something his mother had quoted when he was young:
“Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
—Psalm 37:4
He swallowed hard. But those desires feel so far away, he thought.
A week later, the café buzzed with its usual morning rush when a man walked in — tall, sun-kissed skin, carrying a surfboard with a massive crack along its edge. Adrian immediately recognized the board: this was not a beginner’s. Only someone who surfed monstrous waves would ride a board like that.
“Hey,” Adrian said, stepping closer. “You won’t want to fix that with glue. The stringer is damaged. I work at WaveCraft down the boardwalk — I could take a look. Might need to rebuild the tail entirely.”
The stranger’s eyebrows lifted. “You know your stuff.” He extended a hand. “I’m Kai.”
Adrian shook it. “Adrian. Nice to meet you.”
Kai grinned. “If you can resurrect this board, I’ll owe you big.”
“Resurrection is kind of my specialty,” Adrian said jokingly, before realizing how it sounded. But Kai just laughed.
True to his word, Adrian poured his passion into the repair. He didn’t just fix the board — he redesigned it slightly, ensuring it would handle the force of Northern California swells. Without overthinking it, he added a subtle gold cross inside the resin near the tail — small, elegant, meant as a reminder of hope.
When Kai returned, he ran his fingers over the surface, eyebrows rising again — but this time in amazement.
“This looks brand new. Better, even.” He paused. “What’s this symbol?”
Adrian swallowed. “Just something I like to include sometimes… a reminder of faith.”
Kai looked at him thoughtfully. “Most people don’t talk about faith around here. At least not openly.”
“Yeah,” Adrian replied, suddenly self-conscious. “Maybe I shouldn’t have—”
“No.” Kai interrupted gently. “I like it. You have a gift. You should be designing boards full-time, man. Ever thought about starting your own company?”
Adrian let out a nervous chuckle. “Thought? Yes. Could I ever afford it? Not really.”
Kai shifted, as if weighing a decision. Then he spoke words that stunned Adrian:
“I’m a photographer and filmmaker. I surf all over the world… and I’m starting a brand — a surf ministry, actually. A movement to reach surfers with the Gospel. I’m looking for someone who believes in it enough to build boards with purpose. Someone like you.”
Adrian blinked, heart pounding. “Is this real?”
Kai nodded. “Let me show you something.”
He pulled up pictures on his phone — beaches in Australia, Portugal, Indonesia — each with surfers praying on the sand before diving into the water. A community. A mission.
Adrian felt his throat tighten.
Kai continued, “We’re calling it Salt & Light Surf Co. You’d design the boards. I handle travel and content. And together we share Jesus with the surfing world.”
Adrian felt as if a wave of warmth crashed through his chest. Another verse surfaced — one he had memorized but almost forgotten:
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.”
—Ephesians 2:10
He believed, with sudden clarity, that this was one of those good things.
“Yes,” Adrian said, breathless. “I want to do this. I’m in.”
Kai grinned wide. “Welcome to the adventure.”
Months later, with a small rented workspace near the pier, Adrian stood over a row of custom boards — each one with unique designs inspired by Scripture, creation, and the movement of waves. The first shipment was headed to a surf tournament in Hawai‘i.
He stepped outside as the sun fell toward the horizon. The sky burned orange over the water, and a peaceful joy washed through him — the kind that felt like God smiling.
The waves kept crashing, steady and sure. And this time, Adrian didn’t hear discouragement in the sound — he heard calling.
His dream wasn’t dead.
It was just beginning.
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