Sound of Surviving Blog

Last week, my mom and I took my nephew to the beach for the day. He was so excited to go, and talked nonstop the whole way there. As we walked up the beach and down the path that leads onto the beach in Strathmere, his eyes widened. He was so excited. “Lisie, Granny, look at the ocean!” He shouted enthusiastically.

After we finished putting on sunscreen and eating our lunch, he begged my mom and me to go into the water with him. So, we did. He ran and splashed and played, and laughed, and absolutely was having the time of his life.

I, unfortunately, am the aunt with the chronic illness, and eventually, had to go back to our chairs and sit down, leaving my mom and nephew splashing around in the ocean.

Though I had indeed anticipated this very thing happening, and had brought my book to read, I didn’t open it once that day. I found myself far too entranced with watching my little nephew take in the world around him. Laughing and squealing as he ran in and out of the waves, yelling, “Woooaah,” every time a wave came, no matter how big it was, marveling at the seaplanes and boats that went by, giggling at the sandpipers and pointing at the seagulls.

Every half hour or so, I’d get up to go back in the water with him and my mom, but never for too long. That frustrated me to no end. I wanted so badly to be able to stay in the water and play.

I realized, as I sat and watched my nephew, so in awe of the world around him, something that made me think. It made me realize, that as we grow up, something kind of sad happens. We stop viewing the world with wonder and awe, and start seeing everything as ordinary.

As I watched my nephew that day, it made me appreciate this magnificent world God created, and designed for us to live in so much more. I wasn’t just watching him; I was taking in the same sights that he was, in a whole new way.

When we stop being in awe of the world around us, we become so unaware of the beauty that surrounds us every day. We stop listening to the birdsong in the mornings, or seeing the dew on the grass as crystals. As adults, we’re far too busy with other things, to think about that stuff. And we often miss the beauty of the world God created for us to live in.

But I wonder what would happen, if, instead of just going about our days, if we stopped and appreciated the world around us the way kids do. I’ve met so many adults who have lost their spark, and pour themselves into work and other things, looking to find it once more. But perhaps, it’s never gone away; it’s just waiting for us to look up from our phones and computer screens long enough to notice it. Perhaps if we could see the world through the eyes of a child again, we would once more, be able to see the magic in everything around us. After all, Psalm 19:1 states, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” When we relearn to recognize the beauty in this world, we are not just finding magic, or a lost spark, but we are witnessing God himself.