Ephesians 3:17-19 And I pray that you… may have power, together with all the saints to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge…

This past week my entire family vacationed with my parents at a beach house in Atlantic Beach, NC. We’ve been going down to the North Carolina coast for almost 20 years now, but for one little girl in our family this trip was a “first.” For our adopted daughter Katie this was her first vacation, first trip to the south, first taste of hush puppies and pulled pork, first time on a boat, first swim in the ocean and first time building endless sand castles on the beach. The list of ‘firsts’ went on and on. She had an absolute blast and what an incredible gift it was to experience all of these things again but for the first time through her eyes.

All of us were extremely curious to see what her reaction would be to seeing the ocean for the first time. We had done our best to explain to her in advance. The beach is like a giant sand box only much bigger; and the ocean is like a giant swimming pool only much bigger; oh, and you can’t open your eyes under water; the water tastes salty AND there are waves that may knock you down. BUT it is a lot of fun. Katie’s language acquisition has been phenomenal these past few months, but it is still limited. Sometimes it’s hard to know how much she actually understands. Besides, how can you get a sense of the ocean when your point of reference is Splashdown Water Park?

As we crossed over the the giant dune towards the endless expanse of sand and sea, every eye was fixed on Katie. When she saw the ocean she gave an appreciative “ooooohhhh” quickly followed by “sand hot!” I had forgotten how tough it is for little children to trudge through deep sand.

At the water’s edge she looked on in wide-eyed wonder. She asked if the ocean would stay where it was. Apparently the loud crash of the waves followed by the violent frothy rush of water towards her feet worried her. Would she be safe where she was or would the waves come and get her?

Standing in the water with her for the first time was a riot. You know how the waves come up around your feet and erode away the sand around and under your toes? Katie was completely unprepared for that. As she held Pam’s hand and felt the waves destabilize the ground around her, she would fall over, either forward or backwards, depending on whether the wave was advancing or retreating. Only a firm grip on her arm kept her from getting a face full of salt water. She definitely did not have her sea legs.

And then there was the first mouth full of salt water. Splash, gulp, choke! “Can I spit?” She asked. “Yes!” We told her. Hack, gag, cough. “Yucky! She spat. After a few minutes, she retreated to the safety of the beach to contemplate the meaning of all of this.

I thought a lot about Katie’s first ocean experience, too. For weeks she had heard from us about how wonderful it would to be on vacation and the fun we would have at the beach, but her first experience was overwhelming and perhaps even a bit disappointing. THIS is what they were talking about- hot, sticky burning sand and frightening waves that knock you down and pummel you with salt water?

I came to realize that for me the beach packs with it 40+ years of positive experiences- swimming, reading books, building castles, riding waves, long walks at sunset and time with family. I hardly even think about the harshness of sand and sun, or the unpredictability of the ocean. You might even say that my love of the beach is an acquired taste- much like coffee or dark chocolate. My appreciation has deepened over the years.

I think my walk with God is a lot like that too. There are so many aspects of life in Christ that can’t be taught, it can only be experienced. Much like the ocean, some find the concept of God to be overwhelming and to trust Him almost unthinkable. But there is a wildness and glory in surrendering to the immensity of God. There is a joy in saying “Yes” to Him and finding that He’s transforming your life. There is a power that comes from yielding to his plan and a thrill that comes from investing and even sacrificing for His kingdom and finding that He’s always faithful. And there’s a comfort and quiet confidence in depending wholly on God even when you get knocked down by the occasional wave. But you can’t learn these experiences by reading about them in a book, even if that book is the Bible. In the end, it has to be lived.

Katie had a wonderful vacation. Day by day her confidence and enjoyment grew; as did her smiles and laughter. She played in the water, built sand castles and ventured out into the waves only in the safety of Daddy’s arms. In vacation and in life, that makes for a really great time.