Standing on the rocky shore of Lake Superior last summer, I looked entranced as shimmering water danced and rippled as far as the eye could see. The beautiful expanse took my breath away. Yet a few yards away stood a museum dedicated to numerous shipwrecks occurring on those very waters. As magnificent and inviting as the lake appeared in that calm moment, the power to crush proud vessels in seconds lay sleeping just beneath the surface. Through the years, ships with self-reliant names like “Invincible” proved no match for the churning waters and 30-ft waves Lake Superior is capable of producing.

I was first awed by the vast, chilly waters as a child. Growing up in Michigan, I’d heard a lot about the great lakes. But seeing Lake Superior’s beauty and power up close is like seeing Star Wars in 3D instead of 1960s black and white TV. I’d heard that song about the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald a thousand times, but standing in the cold water that took her down and gazing at the ship’s bell brought up from the bottom — a memorial to those who lost their lives — was sobering. Humbling. How could I have lived in Michigan all these years and missed out on this?

Maybe this happened the same way we live day in and day out and totally miss God. He sends us regular newsletters heralding His beauty. Blazing red-orange sunsets. Frosty white winter forests. Big blue wonder-filled newborn baby eyes. And His power is evident as volcanoes erupt, rivers surge and thunder explodes in the sky. Yet, we so seldom consider His Presence.  Consumed with daily busyness, we forget to pack our bags and seek Him out, to make the trek and dip our toes in the refreshing waters of His Words.

Maybe it’s time to begin a regular habit of going to meet God. We miss out on His infinite beauty and power when we settle for hearing stories about Him from someone else. We should at least consider packing our own bags, heading to the quiet shore and wading in His Word, the Bible, for ourselves. He has already come a great distance to express His love for us! He came all the way from heaven and went all the way to the cross. I certainly don’t have a good excuse not to go daily to my knees and His Word. How about you?

Bon Voyage!