SEA ANEMONE, SEA SAMARITANS AND SEA SERPENTS

SEA ANEMONE

When the boat shored, all moved out. A few geeks immediately flashed out their latest gadgets and snapped. The stoic stood their ground, looking upward and seemingly marveling at the eagles hovering above the tree tops. Or were they inwardly afraid and carefully watching if these predators would lunge at them as prey? Some leisurely strolled the sandy beach, basking in the sun, listening to the waves and soaking in the breeze. Time was on their side. Others (including me) were busy donning our snorkeling gears getting ready for some action packed adventures.

My face shone with great pride as I put on my newly bought blue mask and tube (blue is my favorite color). With the sprightly colored lime green fins on my feet (these were loan to me), I looked like a seasoned snorkeler. The fins were lovely. It was my clumsy gait that awkwardly gave me in. Looks can be deceiving. That is why in His infinite wisdom, God looks inward towards the heart instead of the superficial outward appearance.

From afar, the tall couple masked with their goggles and in their booties, were already wading through the water out to the sea. They were having a whale of a time, happily and contentedly looking and watching beneath them. Curious that they were not in snorkeling gear, I approached them and asked if they were first timers trying out the game. To my own embarrassment, I realised I was the novice. Quickly, I shied away, pulling my mask, diving in, blowing air, flapping my fins and getting excited in the underwater world. If you have read my previous article “Footprints on the sand”, you would have known that this was my second attempt at snorkeling. This is the sequel.

The boatman brought us to another island the next day and greater fun awaited us. As the water was calmer and clearer, we had a more vivid view of the water underneath. We were in for a fabulous treat. I told myself that I had to concentrate, capture and commit to memory all the moments underwater. I uttered a silent prayer for divine help before submerging into the marine world.

On the next cue, I was already immersed totally in an enormous sea aquarium. The view was picturesque with a magnificent rainbow of colors and a wide spectrum of fishes and corals. For a moment, I thought I was looking at a beautiful painting. Better yet, a 3D motion picture choreographed and directed by God himself. If you think Ice Age is wonderfully done, then this is stunning and amazing.

I was so excited when I saw nemo because I could put a name to the face. Then, I started looking for Dory. (if you know what I mean) and tried to identify other coral fishes shown on the classic movie, Nemo. On hindsight, did I look funny behaving so childishly?

 

I was thrilled to see many sea cucumbers lazing around on the sea bed. At first glance, I mistook them for eels. They looked horribly ugly in black, so unlike the cured and processed sea cucumbers on our dinner plates. Also in black outfit were the sea urchins. They have numerous thorny spikes on their round bodies and looked like time bombs in clusters waiting to explode with any wrong step. I wonder why Asians who are so disinclined towards black, have such an exquisite taste for these black creatures. Mind you, these dishes aren't cheap and make expensive palatable delicacies in the Chinese and Japanese cuisines.

I playfully over turned a top shell to see its reactions. To my surprise, it was in a helpless state for it could not turn itself over and fishes swam by to take their bites. God created them with shells as protective covers and they live their lives in a top down position. Any other ways, they would be dead meat.

 

Likewise, we are born with certain traits and characteristics. Unlike the sea creatures which live by instincts, we are called to live by the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. By His grace, we are capable of a total makeover, a transformation from the carnal self to a christ centered being. The secret to living a victorious Christian life is to wield and yield to the power of the Spirit.

I could not believe I was swimming alongside these tiny darting gobies, striped finning angelfish, daunting dancing damsels.  Though a specular sight, it was quite an unnerving experience when we fed them with bread crumbs. Initially, a handful swam by and nibbled. Moments later, it became a school of sorts jostling, darting and pecking at the bits. It was like a feeding frenzy which alarmed me. Did something bite my leg? Was I mistaken as bait? I quickly pulled away with the fondest memories of beautiful fishes and coral gardens.

SEA SAMARITANS

The beaches of Sibu were different from Pangkor's. For one, they did not yield as many sea shells, though the sand were equally soft. The tall girl was so fascinated by some hermit crabs that she kept spotting and picking them up as we walked along the stretches of the shore. Soon, we were helping her too. We kept them in a bag filled with sea water and had enjoyable hours watching them.

When we were tired of this child's play, we surrendered them back to the sea but not without a final game.We lined them up for a race. A few were courageous enough to take the plunge and surge forward with some bold steps. But others were heavy legged and stayed put without any movement. Why did they not run for their lives? Have they been so imprisoned within the walls that they have forgotten how to run? Or have they already given up hope while in captivity?

 

One couple caught our attention. While the elongated one seemed deeply rooted on the earth (or sand rather) and did not make much progress at the race, another was loving and caring enough to gently gave it a lift and pulled it along. He did it not just once but several times. He seemed to be having a tough time but he did not give up on her. He touched our hearts that we gave this couple a great helping hand by bringing them closer to the finishing line. As waters rushed to shore, building a tsunami on them, he was still on a lookout for her. Amazing love! In the community of faith, we are also called to be on a constant lookout for one another, bearing each other's burden with an occasional gentle nudge here or a hard knock there sometimes.

SEA SERPENTS

We were eager to cross the deep blue sea, not realising that we were not given the life jackets. We were in for some unexpected adventure! Because we were seated down at the stern, our total weights angled and tilted the hull. Consequentially, our frontal view was blocked and only the boatman, who stood, could see and guide the boat on its course. As there were no safety belts to secure us down, we had to cling on either to the side railings or hold onto our seats to ensure that we would not fly out during flight or get ejected accidentally.

The boat ride was tough as it had to cut across the rough seas. Waves after waves bumped the boat as it hit the road. We participated and played along with screams as if we were on a roller coaster ride. Bumped! Bumped! Splashed! Bumped! Bumped! Whacked! And we got a blessing of salts. Grins. Giggles. Laughter. Faces beamed. Hearts elated. Our adventure had started sooner than we thought.

Another challenge awaited us on our arrival at the jetty. We had to ascend a flight of steps with our belongings. The problem was the steps were not concrete ones but wooden planks and they were really steep. The rocking boat created an imbalance which added to the level of difficulty of the climb. In this adventure of obstacles, our self-confidence was challenged and our belongings were a burden.

We ascended the climb with great precision and team effort. No meetings. No discussions. No shouting orders. Just a spirit of unspoken mutual understanding and quiet resolve. First, he freed himself of burdens and carefully crawled his way up. On reaching the top of the stairs, some bags were passed to him. Next, the girls gingerly climbed and made their way up with some soft pushes and hard pulls. Finally, it was my turn and my concern was to ensure my legs were long enough to make the jump. And we all made it, though not without effort.

Life is always a struggle too. This world is not our home we are just a passing through. We are reminded that we are pilgrims called to a permanent residence in heaven and it is always wise to travel light.

It was time to say goodbye to the good old days. Okay it's only 3 days but it was enough to make the heart grow mushy and tender to reminiscing and the atmosphere greyer, more solemn and sombre.   Images bloomed; of Blackie, the black gentle and adorable Doberman, the simple hut with just 4 single beds and a makeshift bathroom, the quiet beaches. Memories blossomed in quick succession; of us snorkeling, lapping up hearty meals (thumbs up for the hosts who carefully selected dishes and served the same seafood in a variety of ways), feasting on the king of fruits, soaking up the breeze, lazing around, catching winks, counting stars, drooling on sunset, keeping up close and sharing personal stories. The good old times.

As the boat sped away, my heart tingled with fond memories and my eyes were fixated on the ripples of waves created by the motor. As I trailed my eyes away from the ruffles of the water, the view of the jetty gradually diminished and slowly faded out. Then, I saw the horizon where the sea met the sky. The vastness of the ocean. The flimsiness of our boat. The magnitude of our problems. The fragility of our existence.

Imagination ran wild as my mind recalled the distinct images of Revelation 13:1 “the dragon stood on the shore and the beast coming out of the sea”. This is the End Time scene portraying the battle of evil forces against God where figuratively, the dragon and the beast are the henchmen of Satan.

Would this happen now? Anxiety is an understatement. Fear is the word. It seeped through my bones when overwhelmed by the smallness of the boat, the overpowering strength of the waves, the deep darkness of the mysterious sea and the possible appearance of the beast and dragon any time soon.  I quietly called upon the Lord for inner peace to calm my soul as He did for the disciples when they faced an impending storm of their lives. And He did and all is well.

 

Alexjoshua 11 Aug 2009