You can experience something, but not fully experience it. It's like standing next to a roller coaster, watching it spin around and around, but never getting on to feel the weight of your stomach rise to your chest. This is something I have noticed on the Race. There are many moments that deserve to be grand experiences – the kind that deserve your full attention and all of your senses. But due to exhaustion, lack of time, uncomfortability or fear – that experience is half-lived.
Things become commonplace.
The moments that used to shock and inspire me when first arriving no longer are a second thought. The sounds, smells, images, and textures that make up this culture slowly become uneventful and lose their glisten.
Half-living comes from an attitude of carelessness. Waking up without dedicating a morning to the Lord and saying, "this day is going to be the best day of my life," causes feelings of unnecessary drone and exhaustion. Now, I'm not oversensationalizing things or saying that we won't have bad days… but the life and zest and joy that we crave every morning comes from one source; listening to the incredibly intimate voice of God saying,
"See this? I created this, isn't it gorgeous? Listen to that sound – it is part of my handiwork."
His voice echoes in everything, and I have been given a front-row seat to see His works displayed throughout the world. I love the smell of the enchilada and churro vendors – the smell of that incredible tree outside the house with blooming flowers. I love the taste of that fresh-cut pineapple and cold, cold Coca-Cola. I love to watch little ones chase each other through the streets, and to feel the texture of someone's hair that is so different from mine.
All of these things deserve appreciation.
They deserve a moment's notice because they were put on display for our hearts to be enthralled and ignited by. I want to fully experience this moment even now – morning sunshine on my face, hot coffee on my lips, birds singing and the world coming alive… this is a moment to praise the Lord, this is THE moment in which I am fully alive. So today, whatever comes my way, I will say, "yes," I will admire the world around me, and I will add my beauty to it.
