Mana-what?

About two weeks ago, we were enjoying the waters of Managaha, a tiny island off the edge of Saipan.  I’d heard of Saipan before, but never of Managaha.  Maybe this picture will give you an idea of how little it is.  By comparison, Saipan itself is only 12 miles long. 

 

It was beautiful!  Managaha is only a day island, meaning no one lives there.  All the tourists and vendors come out by ferry in the morning. 

I got a moment of somewhat free time, with just me & Bryan.  He was contentedly dumping sand into a bucket, just like he does at home.  He really couldn’t care less what island the sand is on!  I looked out at the incredibly clear water, and realized that the world is a lot bigger than I knew.  Yes, there are elements that make it smaller sometimes; communication, connections, quick travel…but there is still so much that I had no idea about.  No clue!  I had no idea there was such a beautiful beach on such a little island way out in the middle of the ocean. 

I looked out at the Asian tourists with bright pink “Dolphin Managaha” life jackets on, getting ready to go snorkeling, and realized that they’re probably also from places I have never heard about. 

I felt so tiny, so clueless.  Not in a bad way, but in a realistic way.  The world holds all these tiny little corners that most of us will never know about, but God knows all of them.  He knows all the people in each little nook of the world, in all the pretty spots and in all the heartbreaking spots.  And that’s not even including the completely different world of the ocean or the stars! 

I guess I understand a little better now the amazement and contentment of the Psalmist who wrote

“If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.”

(Psalm 139:9-10)

Thanks, God, for making Managaha, for letting us visit, and for giving me a bit of a clue of how much bigger you are than I am.