Discovery

Sometimes I'm really glad that we humans don't know everything. It can be really frustrating to be in the dark sometimes, it's true, but it's also really exhilarating to discover something we didn't know before. There is so much in this universe that I have never experienced or imagined. When I consider that, I could feel small and insignificant, and sometimes I do. But more often I think with excitement of all that's out there for me to discover, of the infinite possibilities that will ensure that my life never becomes completely boring or predictable.

Sometimes just the dream of discovery gives me joy. I think about what it would be like to ride a camel through Petra or to sleep in a cave in the Amazon. I imagine what it would feel like to stand on the Great Wall of China or to ride a horse along a pristine Caribbean beach. I may never actually get to visit all of these places, but the idea that they're out there still gives me joy. Even if I become a prolific world traveler, I will never get to see everything in the world, and that's amazing! That means that no matter where I go and what I do, there will always be something new to see, mysteries still to uncover, adventures still to have. I will never have to feel like I've "finished" life, like there's nothing left to do or see. When I consider the wondrous multitude of life and geography that God put in this world for us to discover, I feel giddy at the idea of such a fantastic gift.

Even my everyday life offers multitudes of little adventures. I recently made gingerbread cookies for the first time, and this Thanksgiving I'm baking my first pumpkin pie. I've also been discovering how to make fun new things in my quest to craft Christmas presents for my friends. Those creative endeavors led me to discover the little craft store in my town, and along with it several other businesses that were on a street I'd never visited before. I've joined a book group and am discovering new ideas and thoughts through the books we discuss. I learn new things through the conversations I have with friends and colleagues every day. All of these things give me little bursts of joy. I gleefully tell others about the fascinating new things I'm learning, I sing happily as I try new recipes, and I proudly show off each new creation to my husband. Even if I never travel to exotic locales, my everyday life will keep providing plenty of new discoveries to keep me excited.

I love sharing my discoveries with other people. Trying out a new recipe is fun, but it's even more fun to cook with a friend and to share the outcome with others. Travel is wonderful, but I want to have someone with me when I discover new places so we can excitedly grab each other and point at something neat and say, "Look at that!" I love learning something new and then getting the chance to tell someone who will also find it interesting all about it. I love seeing a mirror of my own joy on the faces of others when they revel in their own discoveries. It's a special treat when people seek me out to share their excitement with me and to show me the new things they're learning and experiencing. I'll bet Adam enjoyed discovering new things in Eden much more when he had Eve to share them with. God has also given us the gift of community, so we'll always have someone with whom to share our discoveries and our adventures.

God has blessed us with curiosity and creativity, and He's given us an inexhaustible supply of mysteries and wonders to fuel those traits. In doing so, I think God has even given Himself a chance to enjoy Himself. Having made creation, God is intimately familiar with all of it, so there aren't any discoveries for Him to make. Still, when I consider my own joy at sharing in the discoveries of others, I suspect that perhaps God is also joyful as he watches us frolicking through His creation like children on an Easter egg hunt. "What wonderful new thing will we discover next?" we ask each other gleefully, and our radiant Father watches to see which part of His magnificent gift to us we will discover and enjoy next.