The Power of Presence Over Pursuit
For almost two years, Gary and I have spent a lot of time in Costa Rica, yet we had never been to the National Park ten minutes from our home. For my birthday this week, it was my chosen activity.
We saw more people than animals. It makes sense—when the forest fills with movement and noise, the creatures retreat to quieter ground. As we walked the crowded paths, a thought arose: don’t follow the crowd. Let what you’re seeking come to you.
On the drive home, white-faced Capuchin monkeys fidgeted by the roadside, as if waiting for us. That afternoon, a toucan appeared on the tree in front of me, his bright yellow bill catching the light. Later, a large striped iguana crossed our terrace and settled into the tree just beyond it. What we had gone looking for met us at home.
Let It Come To You
In the park, people search. They move, scan, hoping to catch a glimpse of what everyone comes to see, yet much of it eludes them. Meanwhile, what we long for waits just beyond the commotion.
We miss what we chase. We receive what we make space for.
Most mornings, I sit outside as dawn breaks. Birds sweep through the rainforest, red macaws screech in pairs, monkeys dance across rooftops and trees. They arrive—not because I pursue them, but because I’m here, present enough to notice and open enough to receive.
It’s not just about where we are, but how we are. We can be present and still unavailable—closed, distracted, reaching elsewhere. Presence is the doorway; openness is the invitation.
Don’t Follow the Crowd
This isn’t only about nature; it’s about how we live. We’re taught to follow the visible path, to go where others go, to want what others want. But the crowd gathers where the noise is loudest and rarely sings the true song of our hearts.
Receiving is an Inner State
Receptivity has a rhythm to it.
It asks for presence.
For openness.
For being where life can meet you.
You’re not likely to find wild toucans in the middle of a city.
If you want to meet the dawn, you have to be awake for it.
Let It Come
Do the work with love, and be where what you long for can find you.
Stay present enough to notice, open enough to receive—there’s a difference between pursuit and participation, between straining and allowing.
And often, what you’re searching for is already looking for a place to land.
The life you want isn’t withholding. It’s waiting for the moment you arrive.
~ ✦ ~
P.S. If this spoke to you, Beloved Devotions is a gentle offering I created from my own daily rituals—presence, love, and quiet joy—so what’s meant for you has somewhere to land.