While in Costa Rica, we saw three of the four types of monkeys that live in the country. Spider, Capuchin, and Howler monkeys. My extremely knowledgeable guide – Rolando – had so much to share about each monkey and how they live and survive in the rain/cloud/dry forests. Each so unique… all monkeys, but definitely living differently and finding their way to be specially, fearfully, and wonderfully the creatures that God created them to be. It was fun to figure each one out! And I realized they each had something to teach me.

I’ll start with the first ones I encountered. I say it that way because I didn’t actually see them first – I heard them! The appropriately named Howler monkeys.

It’s a sound I can’t even begin to describe – except to say the first thought I had was I hope that is an animal or it is an animal being killed. But because the sound persisted, echoed, and multiplied – it became apparent it was an animal. The Howler monkey, howling away, earning their name.

The Howler howls for various reasons. Always led by the Alpha male. They howl to announce incoming weather (as was the case early that morning in the rain forest). They howl to let others know they are coming too close, to warn of danger. The Alpha male may howl to let other approaching males know this is his family. But regardless of the reason – their howl is certainly their signature! They make a noise! They make a loud, emphatic; “I am here – take notice of me” noise. The world knows when they are around; their very nature proclaims it loudly. When they make their noise, there is no mistaking who they are and that they are claiming their space. Shouldn’t we be the same? Shouldn’t the world around us know who we are by the noise that we make?

Psalm 98:4 “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music”

Psalm 150:1-6 “Praise the Lord, Praise God in His sanctuary, praise Him in His mighty heavens. Praise Him for His surpassing greatness. Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise Him with the harp and lyre, praise Him with timbrel and dancing, praise Him with the clash of cymbals, praise Him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”

Shouldn’t our noise proclaim we are here! A noise for the Lord brought the walls of a mighty city down. The noise we make should tell others about the great God we serve so they too can know the amazing grace that we live in.

Romans 10:7 “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.”

Romans 10:14-15 “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”

Our praise in all situations shows God’s glory. We praise in good and bad times and others want to know the one who holds our heart and fills us with joy and hope. But our noise isn’t only verbal — our noise is also in the way we live. And there is no better noise we can make for the world than to love. To love everyone because we know that God loves them – they are all equally God’s favorite — just as we are. And our love will shine the light of faith and point the world to God. He is our Alpha male; He leads us in the loud life that we live.

1 John 4:19 “We love because he first loved us”

1 Corinthians 16:14 “Do everything in love.’

John 15:12 “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

And then the Capuchins. Love these super smart, super cute monkeys. My first encounter was one Capuchin. As we sat in the dining hall (ashamedly using the Wi-Fi) he appeared on a tree right outside. He was looking in with a purpose. He came a little closer – then suddenly he burst into the dining hall, stood on the first table, scanned the room, found what he was looking for. He ran to a back table and in a single swipe grabbed all the sugar (and a few equal packets) from the table and in an instant was out on a tree happily putting the sugar packets right in his mouth. This whole escapade lasted probably a minute and was amazing fun to watch.

After laughing for a bit – and listening as the rest of the family came thundering across the metal roof to share in his spoils, I got to thinking about what I saw. We should attack our purpose in life like the Capuchin attacked his quest for the glorious sugar. Our sugar not in little white packets – but in the purpose that God laid before us.

The first step, approach with caution and purpose. My friend the Capuchin came near, but stayed far enough away to remain safe while he inspected the scene to determine if he should even try it. He did not start by blindly rushing in. He knew the passion in his heart, but that success would only come if he made sure the path was clear. As we should when the fire first burns in our heart. Maybe it is a fire for helping those in need, or for freeing victims of human trafficking, feeding the hungry, or loving the ones society has cast off. Whether it is a fire for the poor, the orphaned, the widow, the least of these. Or even a fire to start a new business, or a new career, a new relationship. Or a fire to move somewhere new or pursue a life totally different. Regardless of the fire, the approach should be the same. First, in prayer – hang out on a tree and look in – in prayer seek God’s will.

Jeremiah 33:2-3 “This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord, who formed it and established it – the Lord is His name. Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

Job 5:8-9 “But if I were you, I would appeal to God, I would lay my cause before Him. He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.”

Psalm 16:11 “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”

Once we know we are in line with God’s plan – we still can’t just rush forward without thought. My friend, having scanned the room and determined his sugar mission was worth pursuing – then came a little closer and stopped to check and ensure he was still safe. So often, when we feel we know wholeheartedly that we are on the right path we forget God and just go charging forward. We should remember to stop along the way and check to make sure we are bringing Him along with us. That we are still moving forward in the way He has planned for us – safely.

I have seen it through my work in Africa. Well meaning people who believe they have been called to help (in this case orphans of the HIV-AIDS pandemic) but forgot to check in with God on the how and don’t understand why they are not seeing results. Unfortunately, sometimes actually doing more harm than good in their quest. The reality is, sometimes God’s way doesn’t make sense the way we would think of it. Joshua had to have his troops march around a city silently for days to take the land God promised. Not a usual battle plan. Or Gideon, who truly thought a more powerful (not scared or weak) man would be much more suited to take on the evil in the world. But went forward with God because He told him to. He amassed what army he could because surely an army was needed — only for God to make him reduce the number to a measly 300. Not the plan Gideon had – but the plan God had. And because he went forward on God’s word, he had success.

But don’t mistake this prayer and checking in with God as fear, hindrance, or doubt. Just as the Capuchin – once certain of his safety – burst full force into his mission and boldly grabbed the sweet promises that awaited him – so must we go boldly forward with passion, urgency and confidence in the sweet promises God has for us.

Philippians 4:6-8 “Do not be envious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds; in Christ Jesus.”

Jeremiah 29:11-12 “’For I know the plans I have for you’, declares the Lord’, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you’”.

So here I am making a noise and remembering that God has a plan and that with prayer and passion I should embrace the promises He has for me – when I encountered the Spider monkeys.

A more elusive breed, a little harder to find because they are built in a way that enables them to live further in the forests and to move much more nimbly through the trees. But our timing was perfect and we happened to catch a family crossing the river. Not as we do – but using the trees. Reaching from extended branches to extended branches, moving forward to the other side. It was fascinating to watch. Rolando explained that if there was a baby monkey that couldn’t reach between the branches – his momma would hold the branches at both sides and build a bridge that the baby would walk across.

Whoa

What a picture of selfless giving; sacrifice to make sure the smallest and weakest still had a chance to cross successfully with the rest. How many of the world’s problems would be solved if those of us who “can” stopped and built bridges for those who “can’t”? No matter how or where, it is what God reminds us over and over.

Psalm 82:34 “Defend the weak and the fatherless, uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”

James 1:27 “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

Psalm 146:9 “The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.”

Zechariah 7:10 “Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.”

So next time you are crossing a river – feeding your family, serving, giving of your time or your money – take a second to think about who you can stop and build a bridge for. Who can you bring along on your journey, in your healing, your recovery, your success. Take a second to look back in the trees and see who is at risk of being left behind. And what you can do to stretch your arms across and make sure they come along with you. Your bridge might be the only thing they need to step into the amazing plan God has for their life.

So I contemplated each type of monkey.
And then I realized one last great thing. A lesson from them all. As different as each was, they all traveled as a family. They all had unique characteristics designed to help their family. No one was cast off, shunned, or left behind. And every family had a leader to protect them, provide for them, and guide them.

That is us.
We all are one family. Lead by our Alpha male, God! The Father of us all.

1 Corinthians 8:6 “yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live, and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.”

Ephesians 4:6 “one God, Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

And we are all sons and daughters. We are family. We may look different, lead very different lives, have different privileges or challenges, we may be rich or poor, we may be young or old. But we are all traveling together on God’s journey and our lives should be focused on the family. We should be making a noise, steppng into God’s plan with Him and expectant of His sweet promises, and building a bridge all with the family in focus.

Ephesians 2:19-22 “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of His household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone. In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him, you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit.”

John 1:12 “Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.”

Galatians 6:10 “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Romans 12:5 “So in Christ we, though man, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”

As family – we are called to love one another. To stand together, celebrate success, support through trials – praise for those who know our Father and pray for those still lost. Our lives should be living worship to God, worship shown by doing the one thing our Father calls us to do.

John 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

1 John 4:11-12 “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.”