Symbiotic Life

I was on retreat last week in the mountains of Matagalpa Nicaragua. The climate is from another world for us Chinandegans. Cool and breezy. Misty and wet. At night 2 blankets were a must and showers in cold water felt like a mini torture [so i cheated and brought a bucket and an electric tea pot!]

But what I noticed the most was the symbiosis of life there.

The moss on the rocks and the orchids in the trees. The lichens growing on the coffee branches.

 And I started to think....why don't i see this more in my daily life? 

The reality is that ALL of life is symbiotic. The bacteria in my gut lives because i feed it and it digests my food.

The Trees in my yard allow birds to live there and the birds are the reason I don't trim the tree too much [smart trees!]

The ants aerate the soil that grow my oregano, which loves good drainage.

ALL of our lives are like this, but we are too blind to see. The friends build us up so we can have confidence and we do the same for them.

The company offered us a job and we can flourish and grow the company.

The husband and wife continue to love and support each other helping them become the version that Christ wants.

The stranger opens our minds so we see the world in a new light. The neighbor gives us consistency and a cup of sugar in a fast paced life. The child offers us a chance to expand our hearts and we offer them a chance to expand their wings.

Even in art- the water flows with the paint and creates new colors. The natural blend with the man made and creates something new.

And all i can think about now is how am I allowing the symbiosis to change me? Do I nurture it? Or do i fight it? Am i willing to allow my "soil" to be aerated and colors to mix so that I can become something new? Am i will to grow with instead of alone?

I hope as i mature and age i become more of a symbiote. I pray that i become more dependent on others and on the Holy Spirit until one day no one can see when I end and the miracle begins.