I have been following the journey of Hōkūleʻa, the double hulled canoe that is sailing around the world using only ancient methods of navigation, that is, to navigate by the stars, sun, waves and even sea birds.
Navigator Ka'iulani Murphy was explaining dead reckoning and this is what she said:
You only know where you are based on knowing where you come from. And you need to keep track of all the clues along the way.
Navigation is, after all, the process of determining where you are, where you want to go and how to get there. Thus to navigate well and stay on course, the navigator must stay awake through the night, into the day. Sometimes he or she must stay awake for as long as three days at a stretch, surreptitiously taking mini cat naps in the day.
I find the process of navigation fascinating for I have such a poor sense of direction and I wonder what I would do if I were at sea literally? I would definitely get lost. I would also be falling asleep at the helm. It is fitting that the season of Advent commences with an exhortation by Jesus to stay awake.
I certainly know where I come from and I do know where I want to go, but there are days I am hazy about how to get there. To make it worse, it is so easy to be lulled into the slumber of complacency, inertia and a comfortable spirituality.
How do I stay awake? How do I read the signs that are strewn along my path to clue me into walking in the right direction? Quality prayer time is the simple yet difficult to achieve answer.
It is therefore quite timely that Advent is here, to prepare my heart and for me to wake up from my sleep of being distracted, unfocused and undisciplined in my time management.
I leave for reverse carolling*on Thursday, so I hope that the next two weeks will be a time of renewal and intimate encounter with Jesus. I desire to find baby Jesus in the homes of the families we will be visiting around Tagaytay and Montalban in the Philippines; to allow the joy of His imminent birth to light our hearts with a warmth that will carry all of us through to Christmas Day.
My gift this Advent is to stay awake by being as mindful and prayerful as often as I draw breath. I want to also make the remaining days of 2014 count. May God grant that I ride the waves of Advent and arrive on the shores of Christmas with a ready heart, alert, expectant and alive, in time to celebrate.
* Instead of expecting a monetary gift for carolling as is customary in the Philippines, I will be teaming up with ICPE Mission Philippines and other volunteers to sing, pray and leave a hamper of Christmas goodies with each family we visit.
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| Pwo Navigator Nainoa Thompson using the sunrise to gauge location after sailing through the night using the stars for direction. Taken from Hokulea Crew Facebook page, September 10. |
Navigator Ka'iulani Murphy was explaining dead reckoning and this is what she said:
You only know where you are based on knowing where you come from. And you need to keep track of all the clues along the way.
Navigation is, after all, the process of determining where you are, where you want to go and how to get there. Thus to navigate well and stay on course, the navigator must stay awake through the night, into the day. Sometimes he or she must stay awake for as long as three days at a stretch, surreptitiously taking mini cat naps in the day.
I find the process of navigation fascinating for I have such a poor sense of direction and I wonder what I would do if I were at sea literally? I would definitely get lost. I would also be falling asleep at the helm. It is fitting that the season of Advent commences with an exhortation by Jesus to stay awake.
I certainly know where I come from and I do know where I want to go, but there are days I am hazy about how to get there. To make it worse, it is so easy to be lulled into the slumber of complacency, inertia and a comfortable spirituality.
How do I stay awake? How do I read the signs that are strewn along my path to clue me into walking in the right direction? Quality prayer time is the simple yet difficult to achieve answer.
It is therefore quite timely that Advent is here, to prepare my heart and for me to wake up from my sleep of being distracted, unfocused and undisciplined in my time management.
I leave for reverse carolling*on Thursday, so I hope that the next two weeks will be a time of renewal and intimate encounter with Jesus. I desire to find baby Jesus in the homes of the families we will be visiting around Tagaytay and Montalban in the Philippines; to allow the joy of His imminent birth to light our hearts with a warmth that will carry all of us through to Christmas Day.
My gift this Advent is to stay awake by being as mindful and prayerful as often as I draw breath. I want to also make the remaining days of 2014 count. May God grant that I ride the waves of Advent and arrive on the shores of Christmas with a ready heart, alert, expectant and alive, in time to celebrate.
* Instead of expecting a monetary gift for carolling as is customary in the Philippines, I will be teaming up with ICPE Mission Philippines and other volunteers to sing, pray and leave a hamper of Christmas goodies with each family we visit.
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