I listened to a story about a young man who grew up in Zimbabwe among the trees and animals. His family cared for the animals; on any given day, you could find snakes, spiders, and a monkey inside their home. One afternoon in the pool with his friends at 12 years old, he removed a King Cobra from the pool and placed him back to safety and away from his friends. As his friends ran in horror, he embraced the interruption and solved the problem. His story centered around adapting and the inconsistencies of the day. He woke up expecting the opportunity to manage and make decisions about things that would come up at the moment. Due to civil unrest, his family had to leave Zimbabwe and moved to the United States. His immediate reaction was shock until he realized his life here was no different. He had to learn to adapt to his environment and solve the problems he faced as a child- being different, being bullied, and not having the environment he loved so much with animals and nature. He transferred his love for the wild to the habitat of the California ocean. This story is about Forrest Galante. I’ve included a link to his webpage if you’d like to read more about him.

I heard this story with the backdrop of travel. Not to go into all the details, but traveling can indeed be a way of practicing adapting. Flights, rental cars, tickets, hotels or Airbnb, and the relationships of those you travel with- the list goes on and on. Extending the word adapt to all of life beyond my recent travel, I began to think of all the moments we are allowed to embrace what is in front of us, adapting and spiritually, finding the meaning behind the interruption and seemingly inconvenience. For example, our AirBnb noted they provided coffee, however upon arrival there was no coffee, and many of the emmenties that were promised were unavailable. We found ourselves walking, checking out new places, and adjusting. Simple enough, certainly bigger fish to fry in the world, yet it is in the simple things that we learn to apply presence, perspective, and adapting.

I read a verse this morning how God works out all things according to His love and purpose –Romans 8:28

How can I see the purpose of the interruption? Perhaps an opportunity to show grace and understanding, to find a different path or way of doing things, or to be guided to a different path for our protection and safety–the unseen things of the world. This way of thinking and reacting takes faith, practice, and a huge pause. Instead of reacting, slow down, see the moment as a way to learn more about the world around you, and what you are capable of. What is your King Cobra moments? How do you adapt? The difference is profound. It’s the movement from anxiety or anger, to joy and adventure, if we can wake up like Forrest expecting with anticipation the opportunity to embrace the unknown with curiosity and a willingness to see it as an adventure.