Where Wonder Meets Wander

The day I stood on top of the Ngorongoro crater, I cried. I could hardly believe God's goodness to me. I have been all around the world. I have seen so many amazing things. Really I have. But who would have ever thought I would be staring down into a vast African plain where wild is really wild? Where people and lions co-exist and beauty is seen in the ruggedness of life. I cannot get this out of my heart. These two lions were mating. We sat for almost an hour watching them from just feet away. Even in watching their behavior, I saw the simple thread of constancy that runs through all of life, the similarity of all species....the similarities between lion and man. It made me feel like I was part of something grand. 

I think I walked into a National Geographic magazine. You know, like when you open a book and the pictures come so alive that you get sucked into a different world. This Masai woman lived in a tiny village complete with dung and ash huts and flocks of goats protected from lions by an extremely tall fence made from young acacia trees. She was a little suspicious of me until I joined in the dance, bouncing and clacking the beaded rings she gave me to wear around my neck. Oh joy, great joy! Dancing with the Masai on the African plain!

I hate it when fear keeps me from doing something wonderful. I will admit, occasionally I back out and miss out. But when I stood above this 150 deep cenote (entrance to an underground river) I decided that I was jumping in, no matter what. It wasn't the long jump that scared me, although the 30 foot drop was intimidating, it was the fact that 150 feet below the surface huge caverns open up and lead to who-knows-where and have who-knows-what lurking there. But on this particular day the sun was shining and the constant water fall created subtle rainbows among the hanging roots and vines. It almost looked inviting. So I swallowed my fear and I jumped. And I disappeared. Deep into the abyss where the water is inky. It seemed to take forever to find the surface again. But when I did, I was flooded with exhilaration. Yes...I WiLL do that again.