Re-Freakoutedness

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed."  -Albert Einstein


How often we "see" without seeing.  How often we "hear" without hearing.  How often we "do" without doing.  How often we "live" without living.


In our world of instant-everything, we have lost an appreciation for the vastness of the world and the amazing things in it.  When is the last time you marveled at the beauty of a valley or a mountain or even a tree or a flower?  When is the last time you sat on an airplane and realized, "My gosh, I'm flying at 500 miles per hour 30,000 feet up in the air?"


Our world is full of crazy gadgets and breathtaking views, but we are such a privileged generation... We have the means to utilize these gadgets (a computer the size of a deck of cards) and see these wonders (hop on a jet plane and be almost anywhere in the world in less than a day) that we have forgotten what a privilege it truly is to live with a literal universe of opportunity before us.


I am very blessed to have had so many amazing gifts and experiences in my life: From studying in Europe, to attending one of the best universities in the country, to having a beautiful family and the best friends... But there are two experiences in my life that have truly showed me what joy is and have made me pause in amazement -- My trips to Honduras.  


In Honduras, they do not have iPhones but they do have mountains, waterfalls, goats in their backyard and a whole lot of love.  The people lead simple lives and appreciate the smallest things.  They live out awe, wonder and gratitude every day because they know what it is to be patient and hungry and poor.  It is harder for us to be appreciative (but not impossible) because we can "get" so much so fast.  It just means we need to ask for greater grace so that we may be truly grateful, so that we may truly see the gifts we have, no matter how small.  Seeing the Hondurans' grateful hearts and kind smiles, however, made me wonder... It surprised me.  Would I be happy without my Macbook Pro?  Would I be happy without my iPhone?  I am sure I could be, but (honestly) I'd rather not try it out.  But the Hondurans' simplicity made me step back and "take it all in" -- Take in that life is not made up of electronics and fancy books, but love and gratitude for life itself.  I experienced and truly "learned" one of my most profound lessons far from my college/law school campus.


I want to share this video with you.  The little children at the orphanage taught this song and dance to us, and it is probably the most fun I have ever had at a "dance."  So simple, but so incredibly beautiful!  Can we recapture that wonder we had as children?  Not completely, but let's strive for it.

"The world will never starve for want of wonders, but for want of wonder." -G.K. Chesterton