Intensely alive
I am about halfway through “Undaunted Courage” by Stephen E Ambrose, a book about the Lewis and Clark expedition in the U.S. in the early 1800s. Lewis was a young guy but he enjoyed himself immensely as he made his way across the western United States on an exploration to the Pacific Ocean. Ambrose has a great description of Lewis, one that would be worthy of any follower of Christ.
“Lewis had come to a point that he had longed for, worked for, dreamed of all his life.
He was ready, intensely alive. Every nerve ending was sensitive to the slightest change, whether what the eye saw or the skin felt or the ears heard or the tongue tasted or the fingers touched. He had an endearing sense of wonder and awe at the marvels of nature that made him the nearly perfect man to be the first to describe the glories of the American West.” 216
Would someone describe me as being “ready and intensely alive” ? If not, why not? What is the alternative? Sometimes, I want to make an excuse since I live in a mega-city like Manila but is it not also a place of wonder and awe? This is where God has put me, for now anyway. Why would I want to live any other way when I can live every day, treasuring each moment and every encounter, treasuring the world and people around me.
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I enjoyed reading your post about Lewis & Clark.
They are a subject dear to my own heart.
interesting perspective you have put Lewis’ frame of mind into from Ambrose’s description.
Thanks for this!
Thanks. It is an amazing read and I hope to some day visit a few of the places like the Missouri Falls. They have just seen the real Rockies in the book and there is a sense of both awe and despair–how can we get over these massive things!