January 5, we shall not stop and stare

When we are lost in the woods the sight of a sign post is a great matter. He who first sees it cries, "Look!" The whole party gathers round it and stares. But when we have found the road and are passing sign posts every few miles we shall not stop and stare. They will encourage us and we shall be grateful to the authority that set them up. But we shall not stop and stare or not much; not on this road, though their pillars are of silver and their lettering of gold. 'We would be at Jerusalem.'
-C.S. Lewis
The Business of Heaven

Oh how I wish that we all would stop and stare. Can you imagine the lost party looking for the way when suddenly they see the sign post? This vision brings me delight. How thrilling to have finally found the way. "We're not lost anymore!" And while I do understand that once you've found the way and I imagine you're concentrating on getting home the additional sign posts would lose the thrill that the first one brought, one of my hopes in life is that I would still notice all the sign posts and that I would still delight in them; that I would stop and stare. If we all noticed the lovely bits of the road more often; if we all saw the sign posts and said "Yes! I am on the right path still!"; if we all took delight in the little bits of the journey wouldn't the journey be so much more joyful? Please do stop and stare; slow your hurried pace, sit a minute, and be in awe.