I’ve always thought the Great Lakes were akin to the ocean, just minus the salt, dangerous wildlife, and surfing waves. But now that I’ve been “playing Hawaiian” for a few weeks, I see I missed one other difference: tides.

The ocean ebbs and flows in a systematic way, first programmed by the Creator. Whether it’s the moon’s pull or the earth’s rotation, tides are predictable enough to be put on a calendar. Recently when Emerald and I packed up for a beach trip, I studied the tide times posted on Birgitta’s room wall – “out” when we got there and “in” when we left.

When we arrived, we set up camp a safe distance from the water where a tide pool surrounded by black lava rock was the perfect place for a three-year-old to play. Ankle-deep in some places, waist-deep in others, the water was sun-warmed and a perfect place to play. It was puzzling, then when I felt a surge of water rush around my ankles like the jets in a Jacuzzi. But being from the Midwest, I didn’t think of the tide.

Within a few minutes, though, I remembered. Each wave bounced with greater force across the rocks, insisting that the water level rise. We had to scramble to save our towels and snack bag from being swamped.

Again and again we returned to the water, only to have to run out and throw our items higher on the sand. The water rose quickly, accompanied by forceful surges beneath the surface, some strong enough to take us off our feet. Our water toys raced past us, heading for the open ocean, and we had to think fast to snag them.

Though neither of us was in real danger, we couldn’t seem to get ahead of the tide. We’re lake people and were completely unprepared – because we’d never had this kind of experience before. Though we’d checked the tide calendar, it hadn’t taught us what to do.

In our spiritual walks, God offers to give us experience we’ll need to navigate turbulent circumstances, but many of us prefer a quick glance at the Bible, preferring not to have the hard experiences that teach us best. We say, “Yes, I get that, Lord,” much like I thought I understood the tides from looking at the calendar. But teaching that will serve us best is enduring the hard things God allows, without complaint. We can know with confidence he’ll educate us properly if we let him do it his way.

That day at the tide pools, the water eventually stopped rising, and it was safe to go back in, though not where we’d been before. Shallow had turned to deep, and we moved to newly-flooded mini-pools instead. The next time we go, the tide calendar will mean much more – because now we’ve had experience.

Don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. (James 1:22)