The morning began with a group yoga session hosted by a Portuguese woman who lives here in the Marina part time. It was a challenging and very rewarding session, one of the best I’ve ever participated in. I knew it was a unique environment when, setting up for the first pose, she said, “turn and open your chest toward the jungle, and your feet toward the marina.” The location sure beat a stale gym room, even with the occasional bug finding my eyeballs.
An hour and a half of intense yoga was followed by a needed half hour in the cold pool. Then to find the jungle. When we read about Shelter Bay Marina, we found a description saying there was a national park within walking distance. Upon arriving our understanding was corrected. The “national park” is actually the abandoned remanence of an old Naval base from the 50’s. Nature has reclaimed the land.
We walked a short distance behind the marina offices and soon found ourselves in a remote spot. All of a sudden, it was quiet; then came nature’s chorus as we craned our necks to see the canopy above. It’s dense blanket was composed of king palms and so many towering trees with deep and rich green waxed leaves as broad as our legs. Then we heard the rustlings. And Dusty spotted the first monkeys.
We had heard monkeys in the distance from our boat in Linton Bay Marina, but to see these elegant creatures hopping from branch to branch, laying flat on cooler branches, and sitting in the crooks of these towering, tropical pillars was new. Then their calls! The communal howling just to let us know how many of them laid beyond our sight, reminding us of our size (small) and our position (below them).
I was in paradise. Ideally, I would have the classic nerd look: naturalist guidebook in hand, nose half in the crease of a page and half looking above my glasses, squinting to make out identifiable characteristics of each monkey, butterfly, leaf and bird. While no guidebook was present, I felt like a giddy schoolgirl, being thrown into a new nature playground. I am sure I still had enough features to qualify for the nerd look: wide brimmed hat, sunscreen on the nose, mouth hanging open and my finger in a fixed point upwards. The novelty of what exact plants and animals we were observing was fantastic. Yet I am thankful that the same feeling can arise in my soul when I observe an all-so-familiar moth, hummingbird or flower at home in the states.
The gift of awe. Too often we forget to “stop and smell the roses.” We speed through life with a goal in mind and forget the journey which we are gifted with along the way to our end point. I hope anyone reading this remembers to take moments to allow for stepping back and saying, “WOW.” Allow yourself to be in awe. Actively put yourself in the way of awe-striking moments, people and places. To skip this part of life is to never know where you are, what has fully been given to you, and Who has fully given them.
When I see a quarter mile long pathway of ants working hard to move bits and pieces of leaves to an unknown destination, I can attribute their “small” purpose to an opportunity to glorify their Creator. There is purpose in their task, part of which was for me to experience awe and glorify our Creator God because if it.
I am excited for awe-inspiring moments in every chapter of my life because I know there will always be opportunity for them, it’s a matter of making sure to seek them out, sometimes that can be more of a challenge than others, but always worth it. As we sail from Panama to Australia we are going to have many opportunities to experience awe, and therefore glorify our Creator as a result. Because the experience of awe isn’t the end of its intended purpose. God is.
Soli Deo Gloria
To God Alone be the Glory
The Adventure Continues... 