I don’t know what made me look at him. He was just an average boy walking down the street but something made me look. As he approached the sign post and he did something which resonated within me. He took his arm, wrapped it around the post, and flung his body around and around.
As I drove past this image settled in my mind.
I remember doing that! Oh how I remember the feel of the pole in the crook of my inner elbow. And how I recall spinning myself around so much that my arm would hurt and I would be dizzy from the activity.
When did I stop doing that? Why did I stop?
Children have a remarkable way of experiencing the world. They approach almost everything they encounter with unmatched enthusiasm and passion. They can make the simple, complex; the ordinary, extraordinary; the plain, beautiful.
What happens to us as adults that we stop living this way? What dictates that living life with such enthusiastic passion would be unwelcome, inappropriate, or unacceptable?
This fall I participated in the Wonderstruck Bible study by Margaret Feinberg. The study was filmed in my “own backyard” at Lake Louise in the Rocky Mountains.
It was an amazing study and prompted me to look at the world differently.
I was astounded at how much I take for granted, how often I step outside and overlook the wonder of nature, the beauty of our world, and the significance of God’s handiwork in its perfection. More importantly, it made me acutely aware of His presence in every aspect of my life.
When I completed the study at the end of October, I promised myself to not forget the sense of wonder, the awe, and the beauty of this amazing world we live in and I would like to encourage you to do the same. Embrace the wonder you had when you were younger. Experience this day, today, as it’s your first and last.
Beautiful post! I try to look at my surroundings as a tourist would. I ask myself, “If I were seeing this for the first time, what would be interesting, what would inspire me?” I try to notice mountains, sunsets, the moon, interesting stores or signs, etc. It is so easy to fall into the mundane repetitions of each day! Thanks for your reminder!
This is such a wonderful way to view the world Sanz… like a tourist. It’s important to see things with fresh eyes and no expectation… to be surprised by the “ordinary”.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your perspective.
What a beautiful story, Jennifer! I am so thrilled you enjoyed the Wonderstruck Bible study! Praying you continue to be Wonderstruck by all God’s beauty!
This posts sums up precisely why I love your blog so much. Your writing takes me places I don’t always find the time to go. Beautiful and perceptive as always
Thank you so much Margaret! Your Wonderstruck Bible study has had a huge impact on my life and it has been such a blessing to participate in it. I am certain that it will enlighten and bless anyone else who encounters it. Thank you for using your gifts to bless others.
God bless you.
Thanks so much my friend. I am glad that this post touched you.
Wishing you a lovely day.
xoxo
I so get what you are saying. When and why do we lose that freshness? I want that again! And you live in the Rockies? Did I know that? Where–are you a fellow Coloradan? Loving your posts, Jennifer!
So glad you enjoyed this post. No I don’t live in the mountains but it’s a “short” 4 hour drive away! I live in central Alberta… across the border :)
Thank you for visiting!
Looking through the eyes of a child. I sometimes wonder myself when did I stop having fun? When did I become the mom that now says “no, don’t do that!”. I miss my childhood days of playing outside for hours with cousins and friends. We take so much for granted as adults that we do need to step back and look at all the amazing things that God has made, and done for us, “through the eyes of a child”. Have a great weekend!
It’s so important to have these “reality checks” and to be reminded of how wonderful and amazing God is. I loved the Wonderstruck Bible study because it awakened my senses to a God who is here, right now, and is present in all the details of not only this world but in my life.
{Magic of the Mundane}. It comes so easily to them, and as you know, I try as much as I can to do the same. I don’t know why we stop altogether, but I do see in my daily life that children of all ages are told to “grow up”… “stop being so immature”… “act your age”… etc. We are, I think, to some extent, urged to stop doing “this”, to stop spinning and experiencing the world that way, to take things more seriously, to prepare for adulthood. So we do. We are also living in a culture that promotes premature maturity, if that makes sense. But, ya know, that’s one of the reasons we choose home education, to limit that exposure to pressure to change, to conform, to stop “spinning”.
Love posts like this.
You’re right Sofia. Our society really pressures children to grow up… quickly. I am so blessed to be able to homeschool as well.