Two Types of Journeys

Well, another incredible week in the grand ol' DR has passed. During this past week, I finally started my auditing job, which felt really good. I like feeling that I'm actually contributing something to my branch office rather than just having people tote me around. As fun as that is, I'm glad to have some work to do.

Weekend Journeys
This past weekend, the interns and I went to Samaná, Salto de Limón, Las Galeras, and Playa Rincón.

To sum it up, these places are just like what my other posts say: they are some of the most beautiful places I've ever been (especially the waterfall Salto de Limón and the beach Playa Rincón). I keep writing about the beauty of this country, and it's simply because I'm not sure that I can take it all in. When I'm traveling across the green and mountainous landscape of the interior DR, or along the beachside coasts, I'm just absolutely taken aback by how stunning this island truly is. Samaná is a cute beachside town with attractions all its own. Las Galeras has a different kind of charm, one that comes from being a small town in a place of paradise.

Salto de Limón is a huge waterfall close to Samaná. It's truly a place of magic. Several waterfalls tumble over a large cliff, and greenery grows in and around the cliff. There is a large pool perfect for swimming that leads into a small cave underneath the waterfall. You can swim under the falls, and when you look up, the sun hits the water in just the right way to make the drops appear to be shining crystals of light. You can (and I did) jump off the side of the waterfall into the depths below. Two adrenaline junkies (professionals, I suppose) even climbed high onto the cliff in the middle of the waterfall to jump. Some crazy bone in my body wanted to follow, thinking I can do that, but I also wanted to live to make it home, so I stamped out that desire.

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Playa Rincón is known as the most beautiful beach in all of the DR, and rightly so. It's hard to get to (we had to take a small speed boat there), and thus pristine. The only people there were us and about 5 other people! The beach is protected by a piece of land jutting out, which makes the water smooth and calm. The ocean itself is the color of sapphire and turquoise. I didn't know places like this literally existed; I always assumed the pictures had been photoshopped to be more vibrant. No--this is the real deal, and it is more magnificent than any photo. Hundreds of palm trees line the secluded beach, and lush mountains guard the shore. I was in paradise.

Engendered Thoughts
Seeing all of these unspeakably brilliant sites provokes a person to survey life. For some reason, beauty speaks to the soul, nourishes it, and invites one to deeper thinking. You feel healthier after seeing such a view, somehow revitalized. The only reason I can come up with for this is because beauty, like that seen in untouched nature or in healthy relationships--that kind of beauty that is rare and breathtaking and indescribable--is the closest thing that a person can physically see to looking upon the Lord. It moves the deepest depths of your spirit to praise and admiration, to expressing joy, to loving life.

So, my question is, how do I bring this kind of beauty to people? It's so undervalued, or valued in the wrong way, and it's such a vital part of life. To feel alive like that...it's essential to living fully. In the book Walking with the Poor by Bryant L. Myers, the author says that "if [only the necessities of life are] our sole focus, then we are missing something important, something fundamentally human....Creation theology calls for a life that is secure but also a life worth living." He says that aesthetics such as beauty, art, culture, and celebration are those things in life that "are the key to being fully human" as God intended it. How often we miss this because of all of our worries, all of our responsibilities, and everything that gets in the way of the pure enjoyment and ecstasy that God's blessings bring. I know that back in America, I have not taken nearly enough time for this. I didn't value it enough, or I at least shoved those values back, caught up in the pains of the current moment.

Life Journeys
Thus, I think I have a new journey to embark upon. As of now, I'm venturing to find out some way that I can bring this kind of beautiful living to those around me. I can't take everyone to a pristine beach, and I can't fix everyone's messed up relationships. Shoot--I've got my own to worry about and work towards healing with! I can't implant thoughts in people's minds or change anyone's behavior. No, those things are the work of God. But I do believe there is a way that I, and truly everyone, can impact people's lives, to make the beauty and joy that I've experienced here evident wherever one may be. Can I do it through a business? Through writing? Through my personal relationships? I don't know what the method will be. But I'm exploring right now how it might be possible.

A few weeks ago, when we went to Isla Catalina in La Romana, I was struck by the pure misery that a majority of the tourists had on their faces. We were in the middle of the Caribbean, surrounded by incredible beauty, but their hearts seemed hard to it. Only a few were smiling, and I was sincerely shocked at the expressions on everyone's faces. How could they look so pathetic, so gloomy? Look around you! I wanted to shout. Oh Lord, if there is some way I can change moments like this, that I can bring life to the rich and miserable and the poor and dejected, show me the way! You came so that we may have life and have it to the full. I am to be your hands and feet, yes? Give me Your dazzling Spirit, and help me to overflow that onto others. 

There are still remnants of the Garden of Eden on this earth, despite living in a fallen and broken world. My goal now is to find them and make them known. I'd love to hear your perspectives on this--feel free to post or message me on Facebook!