More Lessons Learned at the Beach

It’s our last day here, and I thought I would share something God showed me our first day at the beach. (I may have missed being in church back home, but God was here with me as well!)

There was a red flag over purple, meaning the water was rough but we could still go in. We just had to watch out for “dangerous marine life.” I tried to keep everybody in view. The girls were closer to the shore with their little girls. But the boys (two 16-year-olds) were out further trying to hit the waves (or rather let the waves hit them). They kept looking to the left and the right and saying, “We want to go over there. The waves are better over there.” I let them venture just a little way, then I would have to call them back over so I could keep a better eye on them. They would complain, but I told them they should enjoy the rest, and their waves would come. And when they did come - boy did they ever!

Now, God showed me these waves as both blessings and trials. Looking all around us, it always seems like everybody has it better, or has something we want. Sometimes we even go and try to get it, not thinking about what’s lying underneath the “wave.” (Red flag = dangerous waters; purple flag = dangerous creatures.) By staying where we are, we can enjoy the lulls and the resting times. And when the time is right, God will send us our waves. And we will enjoy it that much more.

Then He showed me the trials. We may be resting in calm waters, but all around us are waves. The people just a little way down the beach from us were getting hit with some pretty rough waves. For a little while they were ok. But after getting hit time after time after time, they were getting a little tired - physically tired; and just frustrated from the constant pounding, looking for some calmer waters - looking for some of what we had (guess that ties into the blessings too).

Then He showed me something else. As a mama, I wanted to keep my boys safe, in the calm waters. I knew there was little chance of them getting hurt there. But in my heart I knew they would never understand how dangerous some waves can be, even though it looks like fun at the time. They would also never feel the thrill of being hit with a blessing. (Disclaimer here - I never would have let them wander off far, and I was fairly close and could keep an eye on them and/or get to them if I needed to.) I knew they would have to experience the waves (the good and the bad). If I kept them in the calm waters, they would never learn so many lessons. They would never learn to watch and see the signs for waves coming. They would never learn to watch where they are going - too far from the shore, too far down the shore, or into a jellyfish. They would never learn which waves to try to jump over, dive under, push through, or ride out. They would never learn how to balance themselves.

They would never understand how God can create something so powerful and awesome, yet keep it held in place by something as small as a few grains of sand.

They would never learn to enjoy the calm waters.