In Bali, we live in a home that has no walls, overlooking fields of newly planted rice.  This is the view from yesterday. We are blessed every day with nature on our doorstep.  Recently, one of our staff told us that we had a problem with monitor lizards eating the fish out of the pond.  He stretched out his arms to about 3 ft and said they were this big!  I hope I don’t run into one in the middle of the night.

As I write, there is a bullfrog off in the distance who seems to be calling to a mate.  It is loud and obnoxious, and I want to shut it down.  But nature is impossible to shut down, as we listen to the orchestra of crickets, roosters, dogs, frogs and running water.   A cacophony of nature that soothes and stimulates at the same time.

I’m also being eaten by small black insects they call ‘nyite nyite’.  They are also called ‘no see um’s’ because you can’t see them.  They leave red welts that can be very itchy.  Then there are the mosquitos.  They come out at night and feast on unsuspecting white folks who have no protection.  Does all this sound inviting?

But the truth of the matter is, no matter how uncomfortable, the pleasure of being in Bali is beyond the minor irritations.  People talk about the spirit of the place.  They speak of the people, the culture and the experience of being in a place where so much is considered holy.

In Bali, there is a reverence for the temple, for the festivals, and for the gods and goddesses that make up the Hindu pantheon.  Each day, three times a day, someone comes to our home with offerings to be placed on the temple which stands in the northeast corner of the property.  The offerings are usually flowers, and something edible.  The dogs and cats love the offerings.  Free food.  But for the Balinese, it is a way of keeping balance.  Keeping the gods happy is essential.

Where in your life do you keep the gods happy?