Looking at the world with fresh eyes…

I went to Bristol today on a school trip and had a very interesting conversation with a colleague.  She was noticing things which I had ceased to see – the way birds were making their nests, deer in a forest (I was sad I didn’t see that!), the size of different houses as we drove past…and I was astonished about how unobservant I have become.  When I voiced this to her, she told me that this was the first spring she has seen in England for 8 years, having been in Africa with Mercyships.

This made me reflect on how much we take for granted, and this evening I went for a long walk in the countryside.  I noticed the way that the trees were growing, the way that leaves lie on the ground, the sound that the birds were making and the feeling of being part of this beautiful, incredible creation.  I took a photo of the sunset, just to remind me of that feeling.

Can we appreciate things every day, in every moment?  Or do we need to become numb to them so that we can discover them again in joy?  I suppose that is the same question as ‘if there was no suffering, could we enjoy happiness?’ and other variants on that theme.  Perhaps we can come to a point where we derive joy from everything we encounter, seeing the presence of God in the world and rejoicing in it.

Here is a video I was shown recently which is truly incredible.  This is part 3 of 5, but all of them are breathtaking.  I was left speechless by the beauty of the universe, and I hope that you will be, too –Louie Giglio, ‘Indescribable’