THE MORAL OF THE STORY:The wonders of nature

“Dear Lord, grant me the grace of wonder, surprise me, amaze me, awe me in every crevice of your universe ? Each day enrapture me with your marvelous things without number. I do not ask to see the reason for it all; I ask only to share the wonder of it all.” ? Abraham Joshua Heschel

If you had told me that I would be awakened before the sun rose on a weekend, my first thought might not have been that I’d be overjoyed about it, but as it turned out, I was. The reason was that I awoke to the sweet sound of a 2-year-old quietly calling my name.

We were on my parents’ boat in Moonstone Cove at Catalina, and my granddaughter Mary and I were sleeping in the pilothouse. Mary woke as the light began streaming through the windows, and when I saw those big brown eyes looking at me, I couldn’t help but smile. I put my sleeping bag next to hers, and together we whispered and watched the sky and the rest of the boat wake up to a spectacular morning.

My family was together over the Fourth of July weekend, and I loved being with everybody on the busy boat. Besides the pleasure of being with loved ones, I also enjoyed the beauty of nature everywhere I looked. It was as if God painted a masterpiece with extra vibrant colors.

The water was inviting and unusually warm. It was easy to jump into and play in water that was 74 degrees. It was also calm and clear, and while kayaking one morning, I saw several brilliant orange garibaldi swimming among the kelp.

Later, I sat on the transom of the boat with Mary and we splashed our feet in the water while feeding bread to the fish Once, after gazing at the beauty of the cove around us, I said, “It is so beautiful here.” Mary looked up at me, smiled, and then repeated my words exactly in her sweet little voice.

I surveyed the scene again and realized that my words were but a small echo of the deep feeling I had inside of just how magnificent it was. I also realized how unique it was that Mary was looking out at the very same cove that I’d looked at with my grandparents, that Mary’s mother had looked at with her grandparents, and that my mother had looked at with her grandfather.

The days were warm, and the nights treated us to a clear, dark sky, with a host of twinkling stars and an even brighter moon.

On the way home, we were thrilled by the rare appearance of an immense blue whale. He slowed to watch us, as if he was as curious about us as we were about him. He spouted a large spray from his blowhole several times, and when he dove down, the flip of his tail seemed like a friendly farewell wave.

Once home, I was reminded that God’s awesome creativity is manifested everywhere. I went on a morning walk and passed a colorful path where the green grass was covered by a bright purple blanket of Jacaranda petals. I think that God is delighted when we delight in His universe filled with awesome wonders.

And you can quote me on that.